Autumn 2003 - Geological Association of Canada
Transcription
Autumn 2003 - Geological Association of Canada
Volume 32, Number 3 Autumn 2003 GEOLOG The Newsmagazine of the Geological Association of Canada Geological Association of Canada c/o Department of Earth Sciences Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John’s, NL Canada A1B 3X5 Tel: 709 737-7660 Fax: 709 737-2532 www.gac.ca GAC Offers Major Discounts on Membership GAC membership dues have been creeping up in recent years. But Council is doing everything that can be done to keep them down. Costs have been minimized, the profitability of publications and conferences is being maximized, while GAC Council and Staff are working hard to make membership as attractive as possible. And a GAC membership truly is a good deal. GAC is Canada’s most broadly based geoscience society. Members receive 4 issues of Geoscience Canada plus 4 issues of Geolog each year. We also receive generous discounts on books and conference registration. With savings like this, it’s almost like a free membership! And to kick start a new focus on ensuring that GAC memberships are an easy sell, special 50% discounts are being offered until December 1, 2003. The discount for a new and reinstated regular membership results in a cost of $60.00 plus tax, while a new retired and unemployed membership is $45.00 plus tax until December 1. Existing special rates and discounts for students, corporate members and spousal members continue to apply. And for 2003 members, a 25% discount for renewal results in a cost of $90.00 plus tax for a regular membership, and only $67.50 plus tax for renewal of a retired or unemployed membership. Council hopes to maintain the discount for early renewal in future years, because it is based on a sold financial analysis. When members renew mid-year, HQ provides them with back issues of Geolog and Geoscience Canada. The costs of this special handling and non-bulk postage are substantially higher than would have been the case if the member had renewed prior to year-end. And cashon-hand also realizes interest income. So if members renew for the coming year prior to December 1, costs are held down, and GAC wants to pass those savings on to the membership. The response to the campaign has already been excellent. It is hoped that increased membership numbers will reduce per-member costs, helping to keep the dues down. So, please renew by December 1, and encourage your colleagues to join or rejoin by completing the form at: www.gac.ca/MEMBERSHIP/membership.htm The GAC Fund [email protected] A GAC Endowment Trust Fund has been established in an effort to support and promote earth science activities in Canada. In the Presidential Preamble of the last issue of Geolog (v. 32, no. 2) GAC Past-President John Clague, made a commitment to match any contribution between $100 and $1000, that is made to the GAC Fund by the end of 2003. As he noted, “Not only will you receive a tax receipt for your contribution, your donation will go twice as far…”. Let’s take him up on the challenge! Contributions can be made through GAC headquarters or during membership ...more on page 24 renewal. GAC Pres Moves Stateside Harvey Thorleifson, a Research Scientist with the Geological Survey of Canada since 1986 was recently appointed Director of the Minnesota Geological Survey (MGS) and Professor in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Minnesota. In this role, Dr. Thorleifson now directs a very active program of geological, geophysical, and geochemical mapping program conducted by MGS. He is excited by his new appointment in a region he knows well, is pleased to have joined the highly capable MGS team, and is taking advantage of his roles and new location to be active in promoting cross-border cooperation into Canada. Thorleifson has been one of the GSC’s bright lights. He has been actively developing exploration methods and promoting GSC initiatives and the Canadian exploration industry through presentations around the world. He has been active in the development of diamond indicator exploration mineral methods, on gold grain distribution and till geochemistry. Harvey has also been active in the development of protocols for digital geological mapping databases which lays an important foundation for the transfer of paper geological map information to GIS databases. In recent years, his research has increasingly focused on groundwater, with most of the work carried out in close cooperation with the Manitoba Geological Survey. This new opportunity will present many opportunities but will also be full of challenges as at the same time he will be busy tending to his role as 2003-2004 GAC President. Harvey wishes to express his appreciation to the support that he received from the entire GAC team, and he is pleased to have been given the honour, challenge and responsibility of serving GAC as President. Harvey is not the first GAC President to preside from abroad. E.H. Koster had also been living in the US during his presidential tenure in 1996-1997. ... more on page 18 INSIDE Map for the Future NSERC $$ to Geology Yin Yan Cobalt...The Silver Years Czech This Out ... ... ... ... ... 4 6 10 20 30 2 G EOLOGICAL A SSOCIATION OF C ANADA The MISSION of the Geological Association of Canada is to facilitate the scientific well-being and professional development of its members, the learned discussion of geoscience in Canada, and the advancement, dissemination and wise use of geoscience in public, professional and academic life. The VISION of the Geological Association of Canada is a geoscience community that is knowledgeable, professionally competent and respected, whose input and advice is relevant, widely sought and utilized, and whose vital contribution to the economic prosperity and social well-being of the nation is widely acknowledged. GAC Executive 2003-2004 President Harvey Thorleifson, St. Paul, MN [email protected] Vice-President Sandra Barr, Wolfville, NS [email protected] Secretary/Treasurer Roger Mason, St. John’s, NL [email protected] Past-President John Clague, Burnaby, BC [email protected] Finance Chair Robert Marquis, Val-d’Or, QC [email protected] Science Program Chair Kevin Ansdell, Saskatoon, SK [email protected] Publications Chair Richard Wardle, St. John’s, NL [email protected] Communications Chair Graham Young, Winnipeg, MB [email protected] GAC Councillors Thomas (Tom) Al, Fredericton, NB [email protected] Jennifer Bates, Dartmouth, NS [email protected] Catharine Farrow, Sudbury, ON [email protected] Mark Fenton [email protected] Danielle Giovenazzo, Laval, QC [email protected] Michael Marchand, Calgary, AB [email protected] Michael Michaud, Toronto, ON [email protected] Brent Murphy, Yellowknife, NT [email protected] Peter Mustard, Burnaby, BC [email protected] Jeremy Richards, Edmonton, AB [email protected] GEOLOG GAC CORPORATE MEMEBERS 2003 Patron Memorial University of Newfoundland Corporate Sponsors Alberta Energy & Utilities Board Anglo American Exploration (Canada) Ltd. Aur Resources Inc. C.S. Lord Northern Geoscience Centre DeBeers Canada Exploration Inc. Husky Energy NEW! Manitoba Industry, Trades and Mines NEW! Noranda Inc./Falconbridge Limited Goldcorp Inc. INCO Technical Services Limited Newfoundland Department of Mines and Energy Ontario Ministry of Northern Development & Mines Petro-Canada Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology Saskatchewan Industry & Resources Lakefield Research Ltd. SRK Consulting Yukon Geological Survey Corporate Members Acadia University Activation Laboratories Ltd. ALS Chemex Barrick Gold Corporation Boston College British Columbia & Yukon Chamber of Mines Cogema Resources Inc. DIAND Mineral Resources - Nunavut FNX Mining Co. Ltd. NEW! Golder Associates Ltd. NEW! IBK Capital Corp. Johnson Geo Centre Juneau Mineral Information Center Major Drilling International Inc. Marshall Macklin Monaghan Limited Scintrex Ltd. Strathcona Mineral Services Limited Suncor Energy University of Calgary University of New Brunswick University of Toronto Utah State University Voisey’s Bay Nickel Company Limited Volume 32 No. 3 3 GEOLOG Vol. 32, No. 3 Autumn 2003 FEATURES 1 6 20 Publisher GEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION OF CANADA Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John’s, NL, A1B 3X5 Tel: 709 737-7660 Fax: 709 737-2532 E-mail: [email protected], Web: www.gac.ca Editor Craig J.R. Hart Yukon Geological Survey Box 2703 (K-10) Whitehorse, YT, Y1A 2C6 Tel: 867 667-8519 Fax: 867 393-6232 E-mail: [email protected] GAC Fund, Member Discounts & GAC Prez moves NSERC Earth Science Grants Early Cobalt, Elk Lake & Gowganda DEPARTMENTS 4 Presidential Preamble Mapping the Future 5 10 Oscillations Letters to Geolog Going Both Ways 11 Association News Retired Councillors, GAC SecTres Report, GAC Planning, Tribute to Clague, New Pres Bio, GAC Fund Raising & The GAC Fund! 25 Student News WIUGC - Bigger than ever! 30 History of Economic Geology Checking the Czech Roots 32 Mélange 38 Calendar Always diverse Associate Editors Sean Fleming Vancouver, BC Lucy Wilson Saint John, NB GEOLOG (ISSN 0227-3713) is the quarterly newsmagazine of the Geological Association of Canada, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. GEOLOG is published for the benefit of GAC members and its content reflects the diversity of the organization. News items and short articles on topics of potential interest to the membership including public geoscience awareness are encouraged. Also encouraged are communications promoting interaction among academic, industry and government sectors. GEOLOG accepts and publishes contributions in both of Canada’s official languages. Opinions expressed herein are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the official positions of the GAC. GEOLOG is one of several forums provided by the GAC for scientists worldwide. POSTMASTER: Mailed under Canada Post Publications Mail Sales Agreement No. 40028338. Send address changes to Geological Association of Canada, address above. SUBSCRIPTIONS: GEOLOG is one of the privileges of GAC membership. To become a member, application forms are available by mail or fax from the Geological Association of Canada, or can be printed from the website. GEOLOG subscriptions to non-member institutions are available, see the website for details. ADVERTISING: Paid advertising is accepted. Digital copy is preferred. Contact the Editor for more information or go to the GAC website and click on Publications then Geolog and look for the Rate Card. Deadline for the remaining 2003 issue is December 8th, 2003. GEOLOG (ISSN 0227-3713) est le bulletin trimestriel de l’Association Géologique du Canada, à St. Jean, Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador. GEOLOG s’adresse aux members de l’AGC et son contenu reflète le caractère polyvalent de cette organisation. Nous invitons la soumission de nouvelles et articles courts pouvant intéresser les membres, incluant les thèmes de sensibilisation du public aux sciences de la Terre. Les articles suscitant des échanges d’opinions et d’informations entre les secteurs académique, industriel et gouvernementaux sont également la bienvenue. GEOLOG accepte et publie les articles dans les deux langues officielles du Canada. Les idées sont celles des auteurs et ne représentent pas nécessairement la position officielle de l’AGC. GEOLOG n’est qu’un des nombreux forums offerts par l’AGC aux scientifiques à travers le monde. RECEVEUR DES POSTES: Veuillez faire parvenir les changements d’adresse à l’Association Géologique du Canada, dont l’adresse est indiquée ci bas. ABONNEMENT: L’abonnement à GEOLOG est un des privilèges dont bénéficient les membres de l’AGC. On peut se procurer un formulaire d’adhésion par courrier ou par fax en communiquant avec l’Association Géologique du Canada. Une copie de ce formulaire peut aussi être imprimée à partir de notre site Internet. Le coût de l’abonnement pour non-membres. PUBLICITÉ: Nous acceptons la publicité rémunérée. Une copie prête pour la reproduction est préférable. Veuillez communiquer avec le Rédacteur en chef pour des renseignements additionnels à ce sujet. Autumn 2003 You could be having this much fun. See page 25. This GEOLOG benefits from the contributions and assistance of Alwynne Beaudoin, Steve Scott, Glen Caldwell, Simon Hamner, Harvey Thorleifson, Bob Cathro, Bob Dalrymple, John Gittens, John Stix, Steve McCutcheon, Mike Cherry, Ward Neale, David Piper, Richard Wardle, Sandra Barr, Roger Mason, Julia Davison and Kevin Andsell. Regrets to anyone that I missed. Karen Dawe, Karen Johnston, Eleanor Penney and Cecilia Edwards at GAC HQ continue to help to fill in the blanks. A special thanks to webmasters and webmistresses that have unknowingly allowed me to use bits and pieces, logos and text from their websites. Sandy McCracken and Karen Dawe undertook the thankless job of proofreading and ironing out my errors, although any faults remain the accepted responsibility of the Editor. Richard Hartmier’s photos of Mt. Logan adorn the Mastheads. This GEOLOG was produced with support from the Yukon Geological Survey in Whitehorse, Yukon. The deadline for winter issue of GEOLOG is December 8th, 2003 — your contributions are welcome! CJRH GEOLOG 4 Presidential Preamble Geological Map of the Future Geology plays an increasingly critical role in our society. Whether helping to ensure our health, to secure our heritage, to enhance our wealth, or to augment our security, the geosciences affect all aspects of our lives. We do this work to protect our water, to cope with our climate, to deal with toxic substances, to manage our waste, to prepare for hazards, to ensure our supply of energy and materials, to know and protect our land, to survey and manage our oceans, to understand the history of life, and to comprehend our planet Earth. We apply a broad and well-coordinated range of approaches. Mapping accounts for spatial trends, while monitoring assesses temporal trends. Research obtains answers to conceptual questions. Synthesis reviews progress, and sets priorities. Education passes on existing knowledge while facilitating its progresses, outreach better equips our society to be good stewards and helps ensure our future, while advocacy influences decisionmaking to enhance the standing of our profession for the good of society as a whole. Some of us have responsibilities in regulation, management, and ongoing field activities, while our work is facilitated by required consultation and coordination. In the business world, geoscientists play roles such as identifying economic resources and being involved in planning. Provincial and territorial geological survey agencies map their regions, while GSC addresses crossborder topics, brings specialized approaches to cooperation with provinces and territories, and addresses certain topics left to the federal survey. Along with their mapping and monitoring roles, geological survey agencies carry out the conceptual research that they require, to ensure that their activity is linked to conceptual advances, and to ensure that members of survey staff are equipped as experts in their fields. Educators and researchers, whether in schools, universities, or museums, ensure our future. GAC helps to facilitate the progress of our science, while Canadian Council of Professional Geoscientists addresses regulation of the profession, and business groups such as PDAC address issues such as taxation. Vibrant specialist groups support the needs of their constituencies, while the Canadian Geoscience Council provides a forum to bring together perspectives such as science, profession, and business. But mapping is a key activity for all geoscience, and geological maps lie at the core of our discipline. In the 1980s, we witnessed the final days of the paper map era. In the 1990s, we learned how to make a paper map with a computer. And in the current decade, it is time to shed the constraints that paper maps imposed on us, and implement the digital, interactive, and 3D geological map of the future. We are now shouldering the huge task of vector digitizing and reconciling legacy geological maps, while multiple generations of legends are being made accessible in a consistent and categorized format. Regional 3D geological models that integrate soils and geology, surficial and bedrock geology, as well as onshore and offshore are increasingly in demand as the information, technology, and protocols to build them progress, and the needs for such models intensify. Applications such as regional groundwater modeling require digitizing, reconciliation, and assembly of a digital elevation model, bathymetry, offshore geology, soils, surficial geology, all GEOLOG Harvey Thorleifson public domain drillhole, geophysical, and geochemical data, bedrock maps, and existing stratigraphic models typically expressed as structure contours. In the geological map of the future, outliers will no longer cut a hole in the underlying stratum, as has been the case in conventional geological cartography, but will instead be stacked so that the polygons can be lifted up to depict what lies below according to the predictions and observations of the mapper. New stratigraphic modelling, particularly required for unconsolidated deposits in many of our regions, requires benchmark information from cored holes logged by geologists as well as geophysical surveys, such that these high-quality results may be extrapolated laterally using drill hole data, commonly large quantities of water well data of varying resolution and reliability. Much effort is required to adequately georeference drillhole data in three dimensions, and to parse large numbers of unique lithological descriptions into attributes and defined terminology. Stratigraphic modelling methods ideally use all available data and an approach that permits judgement in the acceptance or rejection of data, while interpolation and extrapolation must be guided by insights into the history and processes responsible for the deposits. Three-dimensional models can be captured as the extent of each stratum and a grid of elevations that together make up predicted stratigraphy profiles conveying expert opinion on interpolation and extrapolation from the data points, including the best available prediction of what lies below areas from which we have no data. Reconciliation of mapping with that of neighbouring jurisdictions is a critical step, as is balancing subjective definition of strata with more objective geostatistical approaches to characterizing the heterogeneous physical properties of each stratum. Rapid progress in 3D approaches is readily achievable in undeformed sedimentary strata, while deformed strata as well as igneous and metamorphic terrane require a separate set of approaches. Increasingly, databases of observations and measurements are being retained alongside the interpreted model, and models are being assigned varying confidence levels such that the result is seen not as an end but a means for prioritizing new mapping based on confidence and priority. Geochemical and geophysical mapping will more and more will be quantitatively integrated with depictions of lithology, stratigraphy, and structure. Modeling such as groundwater and thermal modeling based on 3D geological models is a way to stimulate the organization of input information, and to set priorities for new mapping, monitoring, and research on methods and processes, rather than being an activity that must await the perfection of inputs. Current activity is progressing from paper maps to digital models, from plan view maps to comprehensive drillhole, geochemical, and geophysical databases, as well as to 3D models, and from static to dynamic models. Pressing user requirements demand that our work rapidly advance along this progression, in order to adequately serve the urgent needs of our society. Volume 32 No. 3 5 From the Geolog Editor The Surveys, they are a changin’… Word has it that the Portuguese Geologic and Mining Institute, their geological survey, is facing extinction (see page 34). Not a pleasant thought that a country has questioned, or worse – overreacted, to an apparent lack of relevance of a national geological institution. But even here in Canada we’ve had provinces that have severely curtailed the operations of their geological surveys. This wasn’t always simply the result of financial cut-backs, but has developed from major shifts in government attitudes about the perceived useful or effectiveness of their geological institutes. The OGS had endured such a restructuring, and the BCGS has, and still is, undergoing contortions in response to changes in government imposed mandates. Indeed, the GSC has been doing a forced two-step in response to Treasury Board directives requiring issues-driven science that is to be closely aligned with current government’s priorities. Not only is it not good enough to establish increased knowledge of whatever part of the Canadian landmass is of interest, or to have products directed toward resource develoment, but outputs must now be relevant to increasingly diverse, largely non-technical client groups. In some ways this is a welcome change as “outreach” has been neglected for far too long....but to put these new “clients” in front of the products ensures that countless trees and dollars will be wasted by publishing colourful brochures and posters lacking substance. There is no doubt about it…..geological surveys can’t be static but must be increasingly aware of their perceived relevance and be proactive … lest they be forced to respond to severe cutbacks or imposed political mandates. Surveys are changing, client groups are changing, the science is changing….this is part of the new reality. Oscillations Canadian graduate students did very well in the recent Geological Society of America Student Research Grant Awards. Renee Luce Simard at Dalhousie University was awarded the Lipman Research Fund, and Sophie Baker, also at Dalhousie, was awarded the Robert K. Fahnestock Award. As well, Matthew Clapham, currently at the University of Southern California, Brian Kendall of the University of Alberta, and Johannes Koch at Simon Fraser University, were recognized Outstanding Mention for the high quality of their proposals. • At Queen’s University, Herb Helmstaedt has stepped down as Head of the Queen’s University Department of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering. Bob Dalrymple is taking his place. Tom Pearce retired from Queen’s on June 30th, after 30 years. Laurent Godin, formerly of Simon Fraser University, joined Queen’s University this past summer. • John Stix of McGill University will become Executive Editor of the Bulletin of Volcanology effective November 2003. • Lucy Wilson has accepted a tenure-track position at University of New Brunswick Saint John. • It is with regret that we announce the passing of two geological giants. Pioneering geochemist, McMaster University emeratis professor, and long-time GAC member and supporter, Denis M. Shaw, passed away recently. Imperial College Sedimentologist Douglas Shearman died in May. Oscillate recently? Tell [email protected] Information for Contributors/Directives aux Auteurs Submissions are preferred as digital files sent as e-mail attachments to [email protected] or on a disc via the post to the Editor. Discs will be returned if sent with self-addressed mailer. Documents should be sent as unformatted text (*.doc, *.txt or *.rtf) files. Graphics should be as CorelDraw (*.cdr), Windows metafiles (*.wmf) or Acrobat (*.pdf) file types, and images should be at 300 dpi, greyscale without internal compression (preferably *.tif). Files greater than 2MB should be compressed or zipped before sending via e-mail. Additional information on other file formats can be obtained from the Editor. Hard copy text, graphics and photo images are also welcome. All contributions may be edited for clarity or brevity. Nous préférons que les articles nous soient soumis sous forme de fichiers numériques, annexés à un courriel, ou sur disquette, par courrier conventionnel adressé au Rédacteur en Chef. Les disquettes seront retournées si elles sont accompagnées d’une enveloppe affranchie avec adresse de retour. Les documents doivent nous parvenir en version texte non formaté (*.doc, *.txt ou *.rtf). Les graphiques doivent avoir un format CorelDraw (*.cdr), Acrobat (*.pdf) ou Windows metafiles (*.wmf), et les images doivent avoir ne résolution de 300 dpi dans un format non comprimé (préférablement *.tif). Les fichiers de dimensions supérieures à 2 Mo doivent être comprimés avant envoi par courriel. Veuillez communiquer avec le Rédacteur en chef en ce qui concerne la possibilité d’utiliser d’autres formats. Nous acceptons The DEADLINE/ÉCHÉANCIER for submissions and advertising for the winter aussi une copie imprimée sur papier du texte, graphiques et images. Le Rédacteur en chef se réserve le droit de modifier l’article à des fins de clarification ou de brièveté. issue of Volume 32 of GEOLOG is 08 December 2003. Autumn 2003 GEOLOG 6 New NSERC Earth Science Research Grants The National Science and Engineering Research Council has announced the recipients of new research grants. These are new grants and are typically awarded for a 3 to 5 year period. Solid Earth Sciences Amelin, Yuri; Toronto, Geology: Refining fundamental parameters of radiogenic isotope geochemistry, $25,000 Arnaud, Emmanuelle; Guelph, Land Resource Science: The sedimentary record of Neoproterozoic glaciations in tectonically-active basins, $20,890 Barnes, Sarah-Jane; Québec à Chicoutimi, Sciences Appliquées: Formation of ore deposits associated with mafic and ultramafic rocks, $48,950 Basinger, James; Saskatchewan, Geological Sciences: Fossil plants of Western and Northern Canada, $32,890 Bourque, Pierre-André; Laval, Géologie et génie géologique: Bioconstruction in the ancient: nature and controls, $35,650 Brenan, James; Toronto, Geology: EDS and imaging upgrade for the UofT geology SEM (with Scott, Steven, Spooner, Edward, Henderson, Grant, Mungall, James), $46,500 Brown, Robert; Calgary, Geology and Geophysics: Multicomponent seismology: Multiple suppression in ocean-bottom seismic data, PS reflection properties, anisotropy and earthquake station, $15,000 Calvert, Andrew; Simon Fraser, Earth Sciences: Seismic studies of ancient and modern subduction zones, $32,800 Canil, Dante; Victoria, Earth and Ocean Sciences: From mantle to exosphere in field and experiment, $44,200 Chi, Guoxiang; Regina, Geology: Hydrodynamics of gold mineralization (reduced granitic intrusion-related) and hydrocarbon accumulation (Williston Basin), $18,000 Chun, Kin-Yip; Toronto, Physics: 3-D seismic imaging beneath East Asia, $28,000 Clark, Alan; Queen’s, Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering: Origin and delimitation of metallogenetic provinces at convergent plate margins, $57,860 Coniglio, Mario; Waterloo, Earth Sciences: Diagenesis of paleozoic carbonates, southern Ontario, $29,450 Crocket, James; McMaster, Geography and Geology: Studies in noble metal ore genesis and geochemistry, $14,000 Cruden, Alexander; Toronto, Geology: Mechanisms and models of deformation and material transfer in the lithosphere, $33,750 GEOLOG Desrochers, André; Ottawa, Earth Sciences: Evolution of lower Silurian storm-dominated carbonate ramps, Anticosti basin, Quebec, $12,450 Groat, Lee; British Columbia, Earth and Ocean Sciences: Emerald and pegmatites in the northern cordillera of Canada and the crystal chemistry of the dumortierite-group minerals, $39,450 Dickin, Alan; McMaster, Geography and Geology: Crustal evolution in the Grenville Province, with McNutt, Robert, $21,450 Hall, Jeremy; Memorial Univ. of Nfld., Earth Sciences: 48-channel seismograph for highresolution seismic imaging (with Wright, James, Hiscott, Richard, Aksu, Ali, Hurich, Charles), $144,420 Donaldson, Allan; Carleton, Earth Sciences: Comparative studies of stromatolites and biofilms, $11,000 Dunlop, David; Toronto, Physics: Rock magnetism and paleomagnetism of continental and oceanic rocks and synthetic equivalents, $117,800 Dunning, Gregory; Memorial Univ. of Nfld., Earth Sciences: Integrated mapping and geochronology to constrain events in orogens, $41,800 Flemming, Roberta; Western Ontario, Earth Sciences: NMR, Rietveld refinement, and microdiffraction of minerals, and geological applications, $25,000 Forte, Alessandro; Western Ontario, Earth Sciences: A computational geodynamics processing facility, $41,158 Multidisciplinary studies of global dynamics of the solid earth, $47,500 Heaman, Larry; Alberta, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Precambrian earth evolution, $67,950 Hearn, Elizabeth; British Columbia, Earth and Ocean Sciences: Numerical models of plate boundary deformation, $28,000 Heimpel, Moritz; Alberta, Physics: Dynamics of planetary cores and physics of earthquakes and faulting, $17,000 Helmstaedt, Herwart; Queen’s, Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering: Tectonic studies, upper mantle studies, tectonic settings of mineral deposits, $41,300 Herrmann, Felix; British Columbia, Earth and Ocean Sciences: Imaging and modelling of seismic discontinuities, $16,000 Hollings, Peter; Lakehead, Geology: Geochemistry of volcanic rocks associated with flat slabs in South America/implications for the evolution of a convergent plate margin, $12,890 Frederiksen, Andrew; Manitoba, Geological Sciences: Seismic scattering and the deep crustal Indares, Aphrodite; Memorial Univ. of Nfld., structure of Canada, $24,450 Earth Sciences: Metamorphic and tectonic Gaboury, Damien; Québec à Chicoutimi, studies of granulites in the Grenville province, Sciences appliquées: Signatures en éléments $42,790 traces des sulfures hydrothermaux et processus Jin, Jisuo; Western Ontario, Earth Sciences: métallogéniques, $15,000 Diversification, mass extinction, and recovery of Gaonac’h, Hélène; Québec à Montréal, brachiopod faunas during the late Ordovician GEOTOP-UQAM-McGILL (Centre recherche and early Silurian, $32,890 géochimie et géodynamique): Lois de puissance et anisotropie des phénomènes volcanologiques, Kerrich, Robert; Saskatchewan, Geological Sciences: Secular variations in the geochemistry $26,000 of plumes and atmospheric nitrogen, $62,700 Ghent, Edward; Calgary, Geology and Kravchinsky, Vadim; Alberta, Physics: Climate Geophysics: Pressure-temperature-fluid of the past: paleomagnetic and petromagnetic composition-time evolution of metamorphic approach, $21,450 rocks, $39,450 Climate of the past: rock-magnetic tools, Gingras, Murray; New Brunswick, Geology: $41,000 Visualization and characterization of recent and ancient ichnofabrics to enhance facies interpreta- Krouse, Roy; Calgary, Physics and Astronomy: Stable isotope methodolgy, $24,000 tion, $34,720 Leitch, Alison; Memorial Univ. of Nfld., Earth Godfrey-Smith, Dorothy; Dalhousie, Earth Sciences: Melting the mantle and formation and Sciences: Luminescence geochronology of isostasy in southern Atlantic Canada during the differentiation of the crust, $27,000 late Pleistocene and Holocene, $22,000 Gordon, Terence; Calgary, Geology and Geophysics: Algorithms for inverse geochemical problems, $12,000 Gorton, Michael; Toronto, Geology: Origin of base and precious metals in Huronian sediments, east of the Sudbury igneous complex, $13,000 Lerbekmo, John; Alberta, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Magnetochronology, geochronology and biostratigraphy of the Campanian, Maastrichtian and paleocene, $9,450 Lescinsky, David; Western Ontario, Earth Sciences: Lava flow dynamics evaluated using large- and small-scale surface features, $16,450 Lines, Laurence; Calgary, Geology & GeophysVolume 32 No. 3 7 ics: Optimization of seismic depth imaging, $22,500 Margrave, Gary; Calgary, Geology & Geophysics: Improving seismic imaging through advanced mathematics and better seismic sources, $31,350 Marshall, Daniel; Simon Fraser, Earth Sciences: Petrology, tectonics, thermobarometry and thermochronology of the Nootka sound area, Vancouver island, BC, $23,450 Melchin, Michael; St. Francis Xavier, Earth Sciences: Ordovician-Silurian graptolites and radiolaria and refinement of the lower Paleozoic time scale, $44,200 Morozov, Igor; Saskatchewan, Geological Sciences: Controlled- and passive-source fundamental and applied seismic studies, $22,000 Murphy, Donald; Carleton, Earth Sciences: Geological setting, U-Pb geochronology and petrology of high-pressure metamorphic rocks, Yukon-Tanana Terrane, SE Yukon, $11,450 Mustard, Peter; Simon Fraser, Earth Sciences: Sedimentology, stratigraphy and tectonic significance of selected western Cordilllera sedimentary basins, $23,890 Owen, Victor; Saint Mary’s, Geology: Thermal metamorphism in natural and synthetic systems, $15,350 Pan, Yuanming; Saskatchewan, Geological Sciences: Characterization of trace species in minerals and other earth materials, $30,000 Reynolds, Peter; Dalhousie, Earth Sciences: A helium isotope mass spectrometer and extraction system for U-Th/He dating (with Zentilli, Marcos, Sylvester, Paul, Gosse, John), $145,495 Riediger, Cynthia; Calgary, Geology & Geophysics: Petroleum systems in alberta and northeastern BC, and the origin of the Alberta tar sand bitumen deposits; organic geochemistry at the Permian/Triassic boundary: $30,450 Rink, William; McMaster, Geography and Geology: Innovative techiniques in Pliocene & Quaternary sedimentary geochronology, $29,450 Rivers, Toby; Memorial Univ. of Nfld., Earth Sciences: Mesoproterozoic tectonics and trace element distributions in metamorphic rocks, $43,700 Robinson, Paul; Dalhousie, Earth Sciences: Podiform chromitites and mantle processes, $6,000 Rostron, Benjamin; Alberta, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Hydrogeology and hydrochemistry of the Williston Basin, $28,000 Russell, James; British Columbia, Earth & Ocean Sciences: Models for silicate melt viscosity and applications to volcanology, $44,200 Schmitt, Douglas; Alberta, Physics: Fundamental and applied studies of the physical properties of earth materials, $58,450 Peterson, Ronald; Queen’s, Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering: Mineralogical studies of mine waste, $18,450 Schroder-Adams, Claudia; Carleton, Earth Sciences: Multidisciplinary analysis of Canadian Mesozoic foreland and fore-and backarc basins, $27,450 Plint, Guy; Western Ontario, Earth Sciences: Sequence stratigraphy of clastic shelf successions: the search for a eustatic signal, $46,590 Scoates, James; British Columbia, Earth and Ocean Sciences: From magmatic to hydrothermal: isotopic and geochemical constraints on the evolution of ore-forming systems, $26,450 Polat, Ali; Windsor, Earth Science: Investigation of the Precambrian mantle-crust system: reading the isotopic and trace element messages from greenstone belts, $18,450 Secco, Richard; Western Ontario, Earth Sciences: Computer-numerically-controlled micro-machining facility for high pressuretemperature research (with Fleet, Michael, Flemming, Roberta, Huang, Yining), $18,753 Experimental earth and planetary materials sciences at extreme conditions of pressure and temperature, $45,600 Rainbird, Robert; Carleton, Earth Sciences: Geochronology of the Huronian Supergroup/ calibrating Paleoproterozic atmospheric change, $21,450 Raudsepp, Mati; British Columbia, Earth and Ocean Sciences: Application of the Rietveld method to mineralogy, petrology and environmental geology, $18,000 Reinhardt, Eduard; McMaster, Geography and Geology: Isotopic tools (Sr, O and C) as an environment indicator for coastal systems, $31,450 Renaut, Robin; Saskatchewan, Geological Sciences: Sedimentation and diagenesis in lacustrine and hydrothermal environments, $38,990 Autumn 2003 Lithogeochemical investigations of metasomatic processes, $31,450 Stevenson, Ross Kelly; Québec à Montréal, GEOTOP-UQAM-McGILL (Centre recherche géochimie et géodynamique): High temperature oven for flux fusion for Hf isotopes (with Gariépy, Clément), $15,000 Origins of the mantle and continental crust: isotopic studies from an adolescent earth, $30,890 Stewart, Robert; Calgary, Geology and Geophysics: Geophysical imaging of the near surface, $20,000 Sylvester, Paul; Memorial Univ. of Nfld., Earth Sciences: Laser ablation microprobe and field studies on early crustal genesis, $31,450 Tiampo, Kristy; Western Ontario, Earth Sciences: Pattern analysis techniques for the study of earthquake seismicity, $23,000 Vanicek, Petr; New Brunswick, Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering: The earth’s gravity field and geodetic network robustness, $15,000 Yang, Jianwen; Windsor, Earth Science: Integrated numerical investigation of hydrothermal ore-forming fluid flow and its implications for the sedex-type ore genesis: example from the Lawn Hill platform, northern Australia, $20,000 Young, Graham; Manitoba, Geological Sciences: Paleozoic corals, environments, and shorelines, $15,450 Environmental Earth Sciences Allen, Diana; Simon Fraser, Earth Sciences: Representing heterogeneity in regional fractured sedimentary aquifer systems: field data to models; $19,800 Andrews, William; Royal Military College of Canada, Chemistry & Chemical Eng.: Modelling aerosol and vapour dispersion from transient point sources, $14,900 Assani, Ali; Québec à Trois-Rivières, Sciences Humaines: Analyse d’impacts des barrages en fonction des régimes hydrologiques en vue de restaurer les troncons régularisés au Québec; $14,300 Station totale pour effectuer les levés topographiques, $14,299 Shaw, Denis; McMaster, Geography and Geology: Trace element fractionation in igneous and metamorphic processes, $2,600 Bartello, Peter; McGill, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences: Geophysical fluid turbulence, $18,800 Sherwood Lollar, Barbara; Toronto, Geology: Hydrocarbon geochemistry in transition zones in dynamic field settings, $46,550 Beckie, Roger; British Columbia, Earth and Ocean Sciences: Arsenic dynamics in reducing groundwater, $20,800 Smylie, Douglas; York, Earth and Atmospheric Science: Earth dynamics, $30,000 Belzile, Nelson; Laurentian, Chemistry and Biochemistry: Microwave digestion system (with Alarie, Yves; Gunn, John; Chen, YuWei), $42,222 Spratt, Deborah; Calgary, Geology and Geophysics: Inheritance and development of foreland structures, $17,890 Stanley, Clifford; Acadia, Geology: Bentley, Laurence; Calgary, Geology and Geophysics: Constraining hydrogeological models with electrical resistivity imaging, GEOLOG 8 $27,600 Blanchet, Jean-Pierre; Québec à Montréal, Sciences de la terre et de l’atmosphère: Évaluation de la rétroaction déshydratation - effet de serre sur le climat des hautes latitudes, $19,800 Boyd, Matthew; Brandon, Native Studies: High-resolution analysis of Holocene drought variability, fire frequency, and vegetation change in the southern boreal forest of southeastern Manitoba, Canada, $10,000 Burn, Christopher; Carleton, Geography and Environmental Studies: Thermal and hydrologic investigations of permafrost, $36,500 Chanasyk, David; Alberta, Renewable Resources: Soil water dynamics of managed pastures, $25,700 Chen, DongMei; Queen’s, Geography: Development and evaluation of multi-resolution classification framework and error model for land cover mapping, $14,900 Chow-Fraser, Patricia; McMaster,Biology: An approach to measure and assess changes in fish habitat of great lakes coastal wetlands, $15,800 Cullen, Jay; Victoria, Earth and Ocean Sciences: Determination of dissolved trace metal concentration and physicochemical speciation in seawater using voltammetric techniques, $66,217 Cullen, Jay; Victoria, Earth and Ocean Sciences: Investigation of the distribution and physicochemical speciation of bioactive trace metals in the marine environment, $25,600 Cumming, Brian; Queen’s, Biology: Paleolimnology and environmental change, $32,500 Curtis, Jefferson; Okanagan University College, Earth and Environmental Science: Interactions between lake trophic state and the biogeochemistry of natural dissolved organic matter, $13,900 Desloges, Joseph; Toronto, Geography: Paleohydrology and paleogeomorphology from high-resolution sedimentary deposits, $16,800 Edinger, Evan; Memorial Univ. of Nfld., Geography: Geological and biological effects of multiple stresses on coral reefs, $17,700 Image analysis equipment for quantitative analysis of coral skeletons, reefs sediments and underwater video, $19,481 Edwards, Richard; Toronto, Physics: Offshore methane hydrate assessment with novel geophysical methods, $71,100 Edwards, Thomas; Waterloo, Earth Sciences: Isotope climatology and paleoclimatology, $21,800 GEOLOG England, John; Alberta, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Glaciation, sea level change and holocene environmental variability, western arctic Canada, $68,000 Hétu, Bernard; Québec à Rimouski, Sciences humaines: Variabilité climatique et dynamique des versants en milieux alpins et subalpins, $19,800 Ferris, Grant; Toronto, Geology: Environmental geochemistry of bacterial-mineral interactions, $33,500 Howarth, Philip; Waterloo, Geography: Information extraction from remote sensing imagery for landscape pattern measurement, $20,800 Ford, Derek Clifford; McMaster, Geography and Geology: Uranium series, U/Pb dating, stable isotope and luminescence studies of speleothems, $39,600 Huang, Pan; Saskatchewan, Soil Science: Solution and surface chemistry and mineralogy of soils and sediments, $59,400 Fournier, Richard; Sherbrooke, Géographie et de télédétection: In situ optical measurement of forest structure and regional mapping of ecosystems using digital remote sensing, $14,900 Franklin, Steven; Calgary, Geography: Field equipment to support remote sensing research, $87,572 Remote sensing of biophysical properties and environmental change, $33,700 Jamieson, Heather; Queen’s, Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering: Mineralwater interaction in mine waste and contaminated soils, $17,800 Jiskoot, Hester; Lethbridge, Geography: Dynamic ice flow restrictions on glaciers in northwestern Canada, $20,600 Johnson, Bruce; Dalhousie, Oceanography: Accumulation of shallow gas in marine sediments, $14,900 Fredeen, Arthur; Northern British Columbia Forestry: Gas-ecchange system (LiCOR 6400) for measurement of vascular and nonvascular photosynthesis and below ground respiration in sub-boreal British Columbia, $51,180 Kellman, Lisa; St. Francis Xavier, Earth Sciences: Array of automated soil gas sampling systems (with Beltrami, Hugo), $38,900 Physical and biogeochemical processes controlling soil profile production and emissions of N20 and CO2, $18,800 Gobeil, Charles; Institut national de recherche scientifique, Centre Eau, Terre et Environnement: Analyseur de mercure (avec Tessier, André, Hare, Landis) $16,107 Géochimie des sédiments de la marge continentale, $30,500 Klaassen, Gary; York, Earth and Atmospheric Science: Computer system for simulation of small-scale atmospheric flows, $20,700 Numerical modelling of atmospheric dynamics, $15,800 Gratton, Yves; Institut national de recherche scientifique, Centre Eau, Terre et Environnement: Mesoscale physical processes and their impact on biological production, $23,800 Guo, Xulin; Saskatchewan, Geography: Data acquisition system for measuring grassland heterogeneity, $11,288 Measuring grassland heterogeneity: a multispatial, multi-spectral and multi-temporal approach, $13,900 Kramer, James; McMaster, Geography and Geology: Metal sulfides in the environment, $24,800 Lamothe, Michel; Québec à Montréal, Sciences de la terre et de l’atmosphère: Methodological development in optical luminescence dating of feldspar and application to climatically sensitive Qyaternary environments, $24,800 Laprise, René; Québec à Montréal, Sciences de la terre et de l’atmosphère: Modeling the earth‘s regional climate system, $35,600 Haboudane, Driss; Québec à Chicoutimi, Sciences humaines: Micro-station de traitment d‘images de télédétection, $42,222 Modélisation des attributs biophysiques des couverts végétaux agricoles à partir des imagges de télédétection hyperspectrale: estimation et validation en agriculture de précision, $19,800 Larocque, Marie; Québec à Montréal, Sciences de la terre et de l’atmosphère: Recharge et vulnérabilité des aquifères, $14,900 Système de simulation de recharge et de la vulnérabilité, $13,250 Hastie, Donald; York, Chemistry: Characterization of atmospheric particulate matter, $31,700 Lucotte, Marc; Québec à Montréal, Sciences de l’environment: Speciation of organic compounds as a key component of the dynamics of complex environmental issues, $26,700 Hayashi, Masaki; Calgary, Geology and Geophysics: Eddy covariance system for water and energy flux measurement (with Quinton, William, Bentley, Laurence), $28,200 Lewkowicz, Antoni; Ottawa, Geography: Mountain permafrost and slope processes, northwest Canada, $22,600 Martz, Lawrence; Saskatchewan, Geography: Watershed segmentation and land surface parameterization for global change modeling, $17,300 Volume 32 No. 3 9 McBride, Raymond; Guelph, Land Resource Science: Pedotechnological characterization of Ontario soils, $15,800 Mehuys, Guy; McGill, Natural Resource Sciences: Impacts of cropping practices on soil and water quality, $16,800 Miller, John; York, Physics and Astronomy: Remote monitoring methods of vegetation functioning, $31,700 Mucci, Alfonso; McGill, Earth and Planetary Sciences: Automated potentiometric titration system, $30,956 Solid-solution interactions and diagenesis, $54,500 change/variability and freshwater-ice systems, $27,600 Reardon, Eric; Waterloo, Earth Sciences: Various projects in groundwater remediation and water treatment, $42,600 Remenda, Victoria; Queen’s, Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering: Syn-and post-depositional processes affecting large scale permeability in clay-rich aquitards of glacial origin, $17,800 Robertson, William; Waterloo, Earth Sciences: Use of CFCs and their replacement compounds for age dating groundwater, $13,900 Mysak, Lawrence; McGill, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences: Ocean, climate, and paleoclimate dynamics, $83,200 Robin, Michel; Ottawa, Earth Sciences: Impacts of climate change on surface and groundwater resources, $11,900 Nickling, William; Guelph, Geography: Constant temperature anemometers for wind tunnel simulation of sediment transport processes (with McKenna Neuman, Cheryl), $97,762 Rouse, Wayne; McMaster, Geography and Geology: Modelling the thermal regimes, energy balances and water balances in northern lakes, $23,780 Ollerhead, Jeffrey; Mount Allison, Geography: The role of ice in the geomorphic evolution of salt marshes in the upper Bay of Fundy, $10,000 Patterson, William; Saskatchewan, Geological Sciences: High-resolution holocene climate variability from western europe: evidence from stable isotope values of lacustrine carbonate and micromilled molluscs, $20,600 U-series spikes for dating stable isotope timeseries records of Holocene climate change in speleothems and marl lakes, Western Ireland (with Holmden, Christopher), $24,447 Peak, Derek; Saskatchewan, Soil Science: Automated pH stat and titration package, $18,099 Reaction rates, bonding mechanisms, and chemical speciation of metals and oxyanions in soils, $19,800 Pienitz, Reinhard; Laval, Géographie: Impacts of climatic change and environmental stress on aquatic ecosystems, $36,300 Pisaric, Michael; Carleton, Geography and Environmental Studies: drought, fire and climate change in the southern interior plateau, british columbia, $22,600 Piwowar, Joseph; Regina, Geography: Spatialtemporal analyses of prairie ecozones, $14,900 Pollard, Wayne; McGill, Geography: Ground water and ground ice in cold polar deserts, $22,600 Price, Jonathan; Waterloo, Geography: Hydrology of deformable peat deposits, $32,500 Prowse, Terry; Victoria, Geography: Climate Autumn 2003 Roy, André; Montréal, Géographie: Fluvial processes and river dynamics, $47,400 Seaquist, Jonathan; McGill, Geography: Spatial pattern and uncertainty in continentalscale terrestrial primary production and carbon storage dynamics, $18,800 Sheng, Jinyu; Dalhousie, Oceanography: Numerical studies of circulation and dynamics over the eastern canadian shelf, $16,800 Sjogren, Darren; Calgary, Geography: Deglacial environments of the southwestern laurentide ice sheet, $14,900 Smart, Christopher; Western Ontario, Geography: Environmental monitoring: surface and karst waters, $29,700 Smith, James; McMaster, Geography and Geology: Dynamic coupled hydraulic properties and flow instability in contaminated heterogeneous vadose zone porous media, $21,800 Sutherland, Bruce; Alberta, Mathematical and Statistical Sciences: Mixing and transport in geophysical flows, $24,800 Teller, James; Manitoba, Geological Sciences: History and global impace of lake Agassiz: dating and paleoecology of its beaches, lagoons, embayments, and successors, $47,400 Toth, Jozsef; Alberta, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: The Pannonian basin hydrogeological research program, Hungary, $14,900 Treitz, Paul; Queen’s, Geography: Spectral/ spatial/temporal analysis of remote sensing data for estimating biophysical parameters of arctic and boreal ecosystems, $22,600 Van Straaten, Peter; Guelph, Land Resource Science: Agrogeological approach to enhance phospate solubilization, $14,900 Waddington, James; McMaster, Geography and Geology: Coupling peatland eco-hydrology and methane dynamics, $29,500 Walker, Ian; Okanagan University College, Biology: Microscopes for palaeoenvironmental research, $13,874 Wallschläger, Dirk; Trent, Environmental and Resource Studies: Arsenic and selenium hydrogeochemistry in suboxic milieus, $19,800 Warren, Lesley; McMaster, Geography and Geology: Microbial geochemistry in extreme and contaminated environments, $25,600 Weaver, Andrew; Victoria, Earth and Ocean Sciences: High latitude processes and climate, $64,400 Wortmann, Ulrich; Toronto, Geology: Assessment of deep biosphere bacterial communities by sulfur and oxygen stable isotope geochemistry, $23,800 Hardware support for reaction-trnsport modeling of the great australian bight deep biosphere ecosystem, $18,748 Major Facilities Access Grants In addition, Major Facilities Access grants were supplied to Stephen Calvert and collaborators at the University of British Columbia for analytical facility for environmental geochemistry ($60k), to Edward Cloutis at the University of Manitoba for the Churchill Northern Studies Centre ($77k), to Peter Dillon and colleagues at Trent University for their water quality centre ($67k), to a consortium of Quebec institutes including GEOTOP, McGill and UQAM led by Clément Gariépy for an Isotope Probing Facility ($54k), to Frank Hawthorn at the University of Manitoba for his crystallography lab ($30k), to Robert Kerrich and others using the analytical geochemistry facility at the University of Saskatchewan (($25k), to Kurt Kyser and coworkers at Queen’s Isotope Research Facility ($97k), to Paul Sylvester and others at Memorial University of Newfoundland for their mass spectrometry facility ($35k) and to Kevin Telmer and colleagues for the University of Victoria biochemistry facility ($40k). MFA grants are given on three year terms. GEOLOG 10 Letters to GEOLOG It goes both ways ... The flurry of articles, letters and editorial pieces in recent Geologs have probably left your readers quite perplexed about the role and health of the Geological Survey of Canada. Allow us to present a personal perspective that we hope will clarify rather than confuse. We found your emphasis on a few career movements surprising, with the explicit statement that the top quality scientists are leaving or have left the GSC. Does this imply that those remaining are second rate? Why don’t moves out of universities attract similar attention: Canada lost its Ocean Mapping research lab to the US a couple of years ago without even a squeak out of GEOLOG? Some of us have chosen to remain with the GSC despite attractive employment opportunities elsewhere. Many good scientists move in mid-career: it’s re-invigorating. Commonly, disenchantment with one’s current employer plays a role: it certainly influenced the decision of one of us to move from university to the GSC. And commonly, the move is out of the fire and into the frying pan: every organisation has its strengths and weaknesses. A scientific aversion to form filling is not unique to GSC employees: we are always amazed at the paralysis that grips some of our university colleagues every three to five years when the “NSERC deadline” comes around. Our experience is that the geological view of senior Administration in universities or senior management in large companies is very similar to the geological view of Senior Management in the GSC. University administrations have closed several earth science departments in the past two decades. Since one of us left the university, the faculty there have been on strike four times. It is not our intent to defend how the Geological Survey of Canada has been conducting its activities recently. Indeed, we are completely baffled by some of the changes that are ongoing. The lack of trust between the bureaucracy of management and those that actually do the productive work is a feature of modern society, and is as widespread in universities, many granting agencies and large companies as in government labs1. Ask any graduate student trying to meet university requirements for REBs or PhD thesis format! Or a hydrocarbon exploration company employee wanting to enter a collaborative agreement or publish scientific research. The Geological Survey of Canada has changed, but the nature of change in the GSC is poorly understood by many in the Canadian geoscience community. A decade ago, the Federal government started a deliberate shift of resources in scientific research out of government labs and into universities, as a consequence of effective lobbying by universities and the policy need to reduce direct government spending. Agencies like the GSC are not part of the government’s innovation strategy and are ineligible even for competitive funding in programs such as CFI and Canada Research Chairs. The Geological Survey is increasingly tasked with meeting relatively short term government policy needs. There is legitimate debate on how much the GSC requires fundamental longterm science, such as Lithoprobe and ODP, in order to meet the short term policy needs, and whether it can rely on the university sector to deliver such long-term science. GEOLOG Government research agencies also differ from universities in lacking a constant flow of good students questioning the status quo. Stirring up an aging population of geoscientists is thus a different challenge than in universities, although staff turnover is probably as slow. It is also different from the situation in industry, where there is a more rapid turnover of staff. Over the past fifteen years, the GSC has found it difficult to develop a project system that both meets societal research needs and promotes innovation. NSERC has had similar difficulties, as evidenced by the lack of take up of programs such as the Collaborative R&D Program. Far too many of us, in industry, government and university, find comfort in doing what we do best, which is often what we have done for a long time. That status quo is no longer acceptable to a government that has a changed vision for the role of its research agencies. Likewise, NSERC has concerns about professors producing clones. Changing emphasis on constitutional details has also meant that the GSC has had to change. The provinces are constitutionally responsible for natural resources, just as they are constitutionally responsible for education, and jealously guard both rights. Canada’s ability to have a national strategy for post-secondary education is impacted by this fact even more than the GSC. Why do we have too many lawyers and not enough medical doctors? Just as most geoscientists working in the university sector have a genuine interest in education, most employees of the GSC have a strong belief in the importance of societally relevant research. It takes a mix of people to carry out such research and for many it will only form part of their career. We and our asteroidal colleagues in the GSC look forward to continuing to have productive interaction with our counterparts in industry and universities, trying together to carry out research on issues of scientific and societal importance. We look forward to continuing to hire and mentor geoscience student assistants, to provide apprenticeship to graduate students on projects of mutual interest, to collaborate with universities in the effective use of expensive ship time and laboratory facilities, to collaborate with industry in the provision of expertise and the interpretation of expensive data, to benefit from the specialist expertise of colleagues outside the GSC, and to provide leadership in appropriate aspects of Canadian geoscience. We also believe we have a responsibility to think ahead to identify societal issues five and ten years down the road and look forward to collaborating with the entire geoscience community so the nation will be in a position to address these issues. We hope our colleagues in industry and academia will respond to our challenge. The government scientist is not an endangered species. David J.W. Piper and David C. Mosher (Both authors are employees of the GSC-Atlantic. Dr. Mosher was one of three professors who have moved from Dalhousie to the GSC in the past decade.) See for example Dewey, J.F., 2001, Plate tectonics and geology, 1965 to today. In: Oreskes, N., Plate tectonics, Westview Press, Boulder, Colorado, p. 239. 1 Volume 32 No. 3 11 Association News Thanks to our retired GAC Councillors! GAC Councillors contribute their time and energy to helping ensuring that GAC is efficient and effective in serving our profession through the organization of conferences, publications, and communications initiatives. The following Councilors completed their terms this year, and their service is gratefully acknowledged. Steve Morison – After a term as GAC Councillor from 1991 to 1994, Steve returned as GAC Vice-President in 2000. With his background in government geology and his current work with Gartner Lee Limited, Steve provided sound leadership and vision rooted in good business sense and knowledge of GAC tradition and history. As GAC President in 2001/2002, he helped ensure the steady improvement of GAC management during a time of eroding revenue. He was particularly active in supporting the BC Geological Survey during a time of Provincial retrenchment. Steve prepared thoughtful Presidential Preambles for GEOLOG his priorities for the year, the future of government geoscience in Canada, the case for partnerships between Canadian geoscience societies, and a review of his Presidency. His Presidential Address in Saskatoon on the Extraordinary Life of a Geologist was influential and thoughtful. Having now completed an active year as GAC Past-President, Steve has completed his term on Council, but he continues to diligently support GAC activity. Steve McCutcheon – Steve served an extended term on Council from 1998 to 2003. He played a key role in guiding GAC activities through his role as Finance Chair, while also maintaining his busy career in Appalachian geology and mineral deposits with the New Brunswick government in Bathurst. Steve could be relied upon at every GAC Council meeting to provide clear, complete, and thorough analyses of the state of GAC Finances. Steve led an active Committee that broke new ground in topics such as fundraising. His steady and thoughtful contributions to Council discussion will be missed. Phil Hill – Phil also served an extended term from 1998 to 2003. At the same time as he made a career transition from Université du Québec à Rimouski to Geological Survey of Canada Pacific, Phil was a very active GAC Councillor. In particular, Phil was one of the key architects of the new GAC Publications business unit, and was active in GAC Outreach activity. Phil demonstrated a high level of commitment to GAC ideals and a thorough approach to optimizing GAC business. Sandy McCracken – GSC Calgary paleontologist Sandy McCracken has this year completed a very busy three-year term as Publications Committee Chair. Sandy completed this job during a time of major change in the GAC Publications business. He could be counted on to bring clear, concise and thorough Committee reports to Council, and he was able to maintain a very effective team spirit in the month to month workings of the Publications Committee team over the years. His leadership was appreciated by everyone on the GAC Publications team. Fran Haidl – Fran Haidl, a petroleum geologist with the Saskatchewan government in Regina, played a key role on GAC Council by leading development of a new outreach strategy. As first GAC Outreach Coordinator, and carrying on the tradition of the GAC Education Committee, Fran was responsible for the GAC role in helping Canadians to appreciate the natural world, thereby assisting them in making wise decisions regarding resource management, response to geological hazards, and environmental stewardship, and in promoting the importance of our profession, thereby helping to attract capable persons to careers in our field. Fran continues her active role in geoscience outreach, through efficient and effective mechanisms such as EdGEO workshops. Carmel Lowe – GSC Pacific geophysicist Carmel Lowe made steady contributions to the work of the Publications Committee, and also played a key role on the Communications Committee in the newly developed role of E-communications Coordinator. She thus coordinated the Council role in managing the web site, the Email List, and E-bulletins. Particularly memorable is Carmel’s role in helping to develop the new look of the GAC web site. So a huge thank-you goes to Steve, Steve, Phil, Sandy, Fran, and Carmel! Stones in your shoes? Get on the List send [email protected] an E-mail with the message subscribe gacl Autumn 2003 Views, opinions & comments are welcome [email protected] GEOLOG 12 GAC Secretary’s Report May 2002–April 2003 The GAC serves its members and the larger geoscientific community with a wide range of geoscientific offerings, including the publication of journals, a newsmagazine, special publications, the Annual Meeting, short courses, NUNA conferences, lecture tours, and the programs of the various Sections and Divisions. The highlight of 2002 was the annual meeting in Saskatoon, hosted by GAC and MAC. Approximately 700 registrants participated in four symposia, 20 special sessions, 9 general sessions, one workshop, one short course, three plenary addresses, 10 field trips and a variety of social events. Over 500 papers were presented, covering most aspects of the Earth Sciences. Those sessions related to the overarching theme of the meeting, “From Plains to Shield: The Making of a Continent’s Interior”, were particularly well attended. GAC Council and Executive met twice since the business meeting in Saskatoon, both times in Vancouver (October & May). In addition, a number of Councillors visited St. Catharines, the site of the next AGM, in February 2003. Between these meetings, Councilors and sub-committee members have been in communication conducting the business of the Association through a combination of conference calls and e-mail. Most information concerning GAC events and business activities is now available on the GAC website (http: //www.gac.ca), maintained in St. John’s. It is a pleasure to acknowledge the financial and in-kind support provided to our Councilors by the following corporations: • Gartner Lee Limited, Calgary, AB • Department of Earth Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC • Department of Earth Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. Johns, NL • Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources, Halifax, NS • New Brunswick Geological Survey, Bathurst, NB • School of Earth & Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC • Geological Survey of Canada, Calgary, AB • Department of Geological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB • Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, Sudbury, ON • Inco Technical Services Ltd., Copper Cliff, ON • Falconbridge Ltd., Laval, QC • Saskatchewan Energy and Mines, Regina, SK • Geological Survey of Canada, Sidney, BC • Wisdo Management, Calgary, AB • SRK Consulting, Toronto, ON • Geological Survey of Canada, Ottawa, ON • Department of Mines and Energy, St. Johns, NL Without this valuable support it would be impossible for Council to conduct the business of the GAC. One of the goals of the Association is to produce timely and economically priced volumes on current issues in the earth sciences. The publications business unit has continued to develop under the guidance of the Publications Committee and Publications Director. A number of new volumes were close to publication at the end of the period covered by this report, and will be available as you are reading this (it pays to check our website frequently). One of the topics that has been discussed extensively in Council this past year is the issue of publication rights on volumes emerging from GAC/MAC meetings. GEOLOG Safety should always be one of our concerns in any activity and to this end we have a GAC and MAC Safety Protocol (the relevant document is available from Headquarters). Our insurers have become somewhat more aggressive this past year in insisting that the details of all field trips operated under the aegis of the GAC be maintained at Headquarters. This includes those field trips run by Sections and Divisions. Council continues the process of reorganization to better meet the needs of the membership, A significant discussion on Student Membership took place a couple of years ago. The outcome has been the establishment of a number GAC Student Chapters, each provided with modest funding for student activities. Students and Faculty are encouraged to contact GAC Headquarters ([email protected]) to obtain additional information. Council is looking closely at our membership policies to ensure that we maintain contact with all aspects of a rapidly changing profession. CORPORATE SUPPORT The Association would cease to exist without the support of its individual members but in addition depends a great deal on its corporate members. It is with sincere gratitude that the Association acknowledges the financial support of its 2002 corporate members: Patron • Iron Ore Company of Canada • Memorial University of Newfoundland Sponsor • • • • • • • • • • Alberta Energy & Utilities Board Aur Resources Inc, Toronto DeBeers Canada Exploration Inc. DIAND Minerals Resources Falconbridge Ltd. Lakefield Research Ltd. Newfoundland Department of Mines and Energy PanCanadian Petroleum Ltd. Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology Yukon Geology Program, Whitehorse • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Acadia University BPH World Exploration Inc. Barrick Gold Corporation Boston College Cogema Resources Inc. Dartmouth College Freewest Resources Homestake Canada Inc. Hudson Bay Exploration & Development Company Ltd. Inmet Mining Corporation Juneau Mineral Information Centre Marshall Macklin Monaghan Limited Scintrex Stratcona Mineral Services Suncor Energy Teck Cominco Metals Ltd. University of Calgary University of New Brunswick Université du Qubec, Montréal University of Toronto Utah State University Voiseys Bay Nickel Company Member Volume 32 No. 3 13 MEMBERSHIP Since the last business meeting, 19 Fellows have been elected, 3 Associate Members have transferred to Fellowship, 19 new Associates have been elected and 144 Student Associates have been admitted. 22 Members resigned. GAC Council notes, with regret, the passing of the following members: William Searjent, Gyorgy Ozoray and H.L. Lovell. The following list identifies the new members and transfers approved in the last year. Fellow Chris Holmden Jennifer Bates George Coburn Murray Duke Dan Georgescu Phillip Ihinger Robert Laramee Shannon McCrae Suzanne Paradis Phil Robertshaw Ginger Rogers Martine Savard Ernest Spurgeon Subhas Tella Dirk TemplemanKluit Joseph Whalen John Wood Guowei Zhang John-Paul Zonneveld Transfer Dolores Durant Ian Foreman Wulf Mueller Associate William Anderson Dante Canil Wen Chang Li Chao Chen Shouyu Chen Jianguo Chen Peng da Zhan James Dawson Leeann Fishback Richard Friedman Guangdao Hu David Jordan Beth McClenaghan Terrence Neufeldt Christopher Rudd Phil Smerchanski Eric Taylor Cameron Tsujita Zhenfei Zhang Autumn 2003 Student Associate Benjamin Allou Michele AsgarDeen Steven Aspden Quan Bao Debi Banerjee Melissa Battler Vanessa Bennett Steven Berg Jerome Biollo Jeffrey Boyce Liane Boyer Janice Brahney Bryan Brassington Kevin Brewer Michelen Brinston John Brzustowski Chris Buchanan Anne Budin Abigail Burt Carlos Cabarcas Christopher Chalk Catherine Channing Kyl Chhatwal Maxime Claprood Allison Cocker Jason Cole Angi Dearin Nicole Dhondt Sean Dickie Aaron Diefendorf Julie Doyon Dana Dredge Andre Dunford Francis Dupr Diane Dupuis Jodi Eye Doris Fox Jason French Lacy Gielen Tom Gleeson Chad Glemser Jean-Phillippe Gobeil Erica Gonzalez Sarah Gordee Souad Guernina Istvan Gyorfi David Hapgood Gregory Hartman Catherine Harty Partick Hayman Geoff Heggie Kimberley Heineman Amanda Heydorn Adrian Hickin Emily Hopkin Heather Hunt Hel Isnard Linhai Jing Sandra Johnstone Patrick Johnstone David Jowett Julio Jurado Gerry Keeping Moussa Keita Dawn Kellett Sarah Kelley Zishann Khan Yuri Kinakin Darren Klassen Ellie Knight Connie Ko Chris Kowalchuk Jon Kroon Stefan Kruse Shawn Kyle Kyle Larson Laura Laurenzi James Lawson Shawna Leatherdale Holly Leland Jason Letto Oingmou Li Zhigin Liu Joanne Livingston Stacey Loptson Trevor MacHattie John Maclachlan Marianne Mader Jeremy Major Chris McCann Tim McCullagh Brant McDowell Caroline Mealin Dominique Meilleur Lesley Meston Aleksandar Miskovic Frances Mitchell Kristin Montgomery Daniel Mulrooney Jennifer Murray Rejeev Nair Lilian Navarro Devon Osecki Jen Parks Daniel Parks Katie Patrick Allie Penner Jesus Pinto Eric Potter Cdric Rapaille Timothy Raub Scott Reid Dominique Richard Daniel Rivas Justin Rogers Laura Roskowski Ralph Rowe Jim Salter Kristin Salzsauler Melanie Sampson Hamed Sanei Andrew Shannon Steph Simpson Ashley Smyth Derek Smyth Natalie St.Amour Victoria Stevens Tanya Tettelaar Rabindra Thanju Douglas Tinkham Sarah Travis David Tucker John Tyne Daniel Utting Angie Vangool Woody Wallace Ken Wallace Jing Wang Zhijing Wang Darin Wasylik Cole Webster Kim West Becky Wroe Hu Xiangyun Andrew Yackulic Xueming Yang Yinhuan Yuan Grant Zazula Zhizhong Zu Roger Mason, of Memorial Univeristy of Newfoundland, is GAC Secretary and Treasurer. Council continues to direct significant efforts towards renewing the membership of the Association. Inasmuch as new Student memberships form our largest area of growth, this is closely followed by our regular members transferring to retired status. The number of paid-up members in April 2003 was approximately 2000, which is expected to increase to just under 2100 by December 2003. This is to be compared with year-end numbers of 2294 in 2002 and 2295 in 2001 and membership levels of around 2800 for the period 1982 to 1990. Council has been discussing the measures that will be taken to “sell” the Association to those members of the profession who are not part of the GAC. In recent years there has been a push to have eligible Associates become Fellows of the Association. Presently, more than 75% of members are Fellows. Most of our membership is in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, and the United States. In periodic surveys of employment status used to plan Member Services, we have been witnessing a significant shift from the traditional Industry, Government, Academia categories. Today, nearly half of our members declare that they are employed by Industry or are Self-Employed. Academics comprise the third largest part of the GAC with members identifying Government as their place of employment coming in fourth. GEOLOG 14 MEDALS & AWARDS National The following list names just a few of the many volunteers who made St. John’s 2001 such a success: GAC awards a number of prestigious medals to Canadian and international geoscientists. The 2001 medals were awarded at the GAC Luncheon in Saskatoon to the following individuals: • Logan Medal: James Monger, Geological Survey of Canada, Vancouver. • GAC Past Presidents Medal: Brian Pratt, University of Saskatchewan. • E.R. Ward Neale Medal: R.J.W. (Bob) Turner, Geological Survey of Canada, Vancouver. • J. Willis Ambrose Medal: Roger Macqueen Geological Survey of Canada, Calgary. John M. Fleming – Hon. Chair, Toby Rivers – Vice-Chair, Doreen Peavy – General Secretary, Stephen Coleman-Sadd – Recording Secretary, Elliott Burden – Accommodations Chair, Tony Burgess & Loretta Crisby-Whittle – Accompanying Guest Program, Lawson Dickson – Exhibits Chair & Publications Chair, Cyril O’Driscoll – Field Trip Chair, Baxter Kean – Finance Chair, Rex Gibbons – Fund Raising Chair, David Liverman – Publicity Chair, Richard Wardle – Registration Chair, Jeremy Hall – Short Course Chair, Iain Sinclair – Social Events Chair, Derek Wilton – Technical Program Chair, Joe Hodych – Technical Services Chair. Larry Pynn of the Vancouver Sun was awarded the Yves O. Fortier Earth Science Journalism Award for his 5-part series on “Marine Reserves”. 50-Year Members Gerald E. Merritt, Calgary, Gordon A. Gross, Ottawa Harold F. Morrow, Victoria Peter J. Savage, Calgary Jerme H. Remick Poster Awards Cash awards and certificates of merit are presented at each annual meeting to the presenters of outstanding posters. The Jerme H. Remick III Trust Fund supports these awards. The awards at Saskatoon 2002: Divisional Awards GOLD - Constructing bison-eye view-sheds: Using GIS to test an archaeological hypothesis at the Hokanson Site, Tiger Hills, South Central Manitoba by R. DeChaine, S. Hamilton, D. Wiseman & G.L. Running IV SILVER - Evidence bearing on our understanding of the timing of uplift of the Bow Island Arch from petroleum geochemistry by C.L. Riediger, B.K. Manzano-Kareah & M.G. Fowler BRONZE - Constraints on the provenance and tectonic evolution of the Piling Group metasedimentary rocks, Baffin Island, Nunavut by S.M. Johns, K.M. Ansdell, D. Corrigan M.R. St-Onge & D.J. Scott Distinguished Service Award The Distinguished Service Award is awarded to recognize an outstanding contribution to GAC through volunteer work. The award consists of a plaque with the GAC logo, the name of the winner and the particular contribution being recognized. Frank Blackwood, in recognition of the role he played as general Chair of the St. John’s 2001 AGM. Volunteer Award The Volunteer Award of the Geological Association of Canada is awarded to recognize those members and non-members who have made a significant contribution through voluntary service to the Association. The award consists of a certificate of achievement. This year we have several winners: Peter Mustard for service to the Cordilleran Section since 1996, as President from September 1998 to April 2001 and Past-President for the succeeding year. Peter has organised some outstanding and popular short courses, workshops and a symposium entitled “The Cordillera Revisited: Recent Developments in Cordilleran Geology, Tectonics and Mineral Deposits”. He has arranged for the section to publish filed trip guides that cover a transect of the Cordillera in southern Canada and has maintained and improved the Section website. Darren Smith (Dept. of Earth Sciences, Memorial University) for his continuing provision of computer support for GAC Headquarters and for the Association in general. Darren set up the GAC website in St. John’s, the on-line payment service for publications, the GAC Listserver, password protection for data on the website and more... GEOLOG The following Divisional Awards were awarded at Saskatoon 2002: Duncan R. Derry Medal The Duncan R. Derry Medal is the highest award bestowed by the Mineral Deposits Division. It is awarded annually to the outstanding economic geologist who has made significant contributions to the science of economic geology in Canada. The recipient is Alan Clarke, Queens’ University. William Harvey Gross Award The William Harvey Gross Award is bestowed annually by the Mineral Deposits Division to the scientist under 40 years of age who has made a significant contribution to the field of economic geology in a Canadian context. The recipient is Jan Peter, Geological Survey of Canada, Ottawa. The Julian Boldy Certificate Awards Awards for the most significant and creative papers presented at the Mineral Deposits Division session at the annual meeting were presented to: B.L. Cousens & H. Falck for their paper Geochemistry and origin of the Banting Group, yellowknife Greenstone belt: A mafic crust melting event in the Southern Slave Province; J.J. Hanley & J.E. Mungall for their paper Experimental constraints on platinum-group slement solubility in hypersaline fluids at temperatures above 600 C: Preliminary results and application to fluid-modified deposits; D. Layton-Matthews, M.O. Burnham & M.C. Lesher for their paper Trace element geochemistry of ultramafic bodies in the Thompson Nickel Belt: Relative roles of contamination and metasomatism The Leopold Gelinas Medal The Volcanology and Igneous Petrology Division of the Geological Association of Canada annually presents three medals for the most outstanding theses, written by Canadians or submitted to Canada or submitted to Canadian universities, which comprise material at least 50% related to volcanology and igneous petrology. Stephanie Schmidberger, McGill University, was awarded the Gold Medal for her thesis Hafnium, strontium, neodymium and lead isotope systematics and major and trace element compositions of the subcratonic lithosphere beneath Somerset Island, Arctic Canada. Trevor McHattie, Memorial University of Newfoundland, was awarded the Silver Medal for his thesis Petrogenesis of the Wathaman Batholith and La Ronge Domain plutons in the Reindeer Lake Area, Trans-Hudson Orogen, Saskatchewan. Volume 32 No. 3 15 Michelle DeWolff, St. Mary’s University, was awarded the Bronze Medal for her thesis Petrological evidence for pervasive silicate liquid immiscibility in the Jurassic North Mountain Batholith, Nova Scotia. The Pikaia Award The Pikaia Award is given in recognition of a recent contribution to research on any aspect of Canadian paleontology, or by a Canadian to paleontology, that is judged to constitute an outstanding contribution to the field. The outstanding accomplishment may be a single monograph or a series of closely related papers. The award will normally go to an individual who is no more than 15 years past their last degree. The first recipient is Jisuo Jin, University of Western Ontario. HEADQUARTERS Five dedicated Association employees at Headquarters in St. Johns skillfully and conscientiously manage the day-to-day business of the Association. Karen Johnston, Associate Secretary-Treasurer and Office Manager, has overall responsibility for operations, bookkeeping, and financial management. Publications Director Karen Dawe is in her second year heading up GAC Publications on behalf of the Publications Committee. Arlene Power, Publications Manager, looks after sales and distribution of books from our Headquarters Bookshop and warehouse, and from our sales network in Canada. Cecilia Edwards, Assistant Secretary-Treasurer/ Marketing Co-ordinator, is responsible for membership review and administration, recording and distribution of Council meeting minutes, Council meeting planning, and co-ordination of membership and publications marketing. Eleanor Penney, Headquarters Secretary, process membership dues, co-ordinates medallist tours and handles general inquiries. Student interns assist from time to time with general office duties. Marg Brazil is responsible for our web page. Jillienne Thorne worked on a part-time basis in the publication distribution centre. David Press, a computer specialist with Memorial University, is periodically hired for specific computer applications. FINANCIAL REPORTS 2002 Audit The 2002 audited financial statements were prepared by the Associations auditors, Walter P. Miller & Co., and were delivered on March 6, 2003. The information was made available to Fellows with their notice of the Annual Business Meeting. In fiscal year 2002 the Association recorded a deficit ($75,823). Publications, Annual Meetings and Membership subscriptions form the core of our annual revenue. Failure to meet budget expectations in one or another of these three areas can affect our bottom line. Council is working hard to return the Association to an even keel. Our Business Plan has provisions to explore changes to and improvements in the delivery of Members Services; discussions have been started on new protocols for the format of Annual Meetings; and our Publications are receiving a significant facelift following the hiring of a Publications Director. Measured against our Annual Revenue, the net assets for the Association stand at $186,467. Other assets of the national GAC are held in 4 trust funds which are used for very specific purposes: the Yves O. Fortier Fund ($19,229), the Student Internship Fund ($67,317), the Jerme H. Remick III Trust Account($51,767) and the Howard Street Robinson Trust Account ($309,095). 2003 Budget Council is very determined that the deficit budgets of the past few years do not continue. To this end a number of initiatives, mentioned elsewhere in this report, have been taken that are designed to improve the flow of revenue into the Association. Nevertheless, it Autumn 2003 was necessary to approve a deficit of approximately $38,000 for 2003. This is a considerable improvement over 2002 and the evidence to date suggests that we are “on-track”. A deficit of any size is to be deplored and you may be assured that Council will make every effort to return the Association to the “black” in its budget plans for 2004. COMMITTEES The following standing committees were active in 2002-2003: Awards Committee (John Clague, Stephen Morison, Catherine Farrow, Harvey Thorleifson, Graham Young and Karen Johnston) accepted nominations and decided the recipients of the national medals. The next deadline for these and many other medals and certificates, offered by the Association is December 30, 2003. Information on submitting nominations is included in GEOLOG, Vol. 32, No. 2. Nominating Committee (Stephen Morison, Scott Swinden and Jean-Franois Couture), secured qualified and dedicated individuals to serve on the GAC Executive and Council. A full slate of candidates was submitted to Council 60 days prior to the Annual Meeting. Communications Committee (Catherine Farrow, Fran Haidl, Harvey Thorleifson, Carmel Lowe, Graham Young, Michael Michaud, Danielle Giovenazzo) was active in promoting earth science and science education in Canadian schools (K-12), public awareness of science issues, reviewing university nominations for student prizes and reviewing application for GAC Logan Student Chapter grants. Finance Committee (Steven McCutcheon, Roger Mason, Benot Dubé, Robert Marquis, Michael Marchand, Danielle Giovenazzo and Bruce Templeton, (ex-officio), oversaw the investments of the Association and its financial planning. Science Program Committee (Kevin Ansdell, Mel Stauffer, Catherine Hickson, Frank Feuton, Scott Swinden, Normand Goulet, Jeremy Richards, Richard Wardle, Robert Marquis and Danielle Giovenazzo) has carefully attended to details for annual meetings until at least 2008. Publication Committee (Sandy McCracken, Richard Wardle, Godfrey Nowlan, Leslie King, Craig Hart, Karen Dawe, Arlene Power, Cecilia Edwards, Dirk Tempelman-Kluit, Keith Dewing, Brian Jones, Philip Hill, Carmel Lowe, Danielle Giovenazzo, Michael Marchand, Roger Mason, (ex-officio) and Steven McCutcheon (ex-officio). Sub-committees are responsible for the production of special papers, short-course notes, Geoscience Canada and the GEOtext series. Leslie King was Managing Editor for Geoscience Canada for part of the period of this report. The new Managing Editors are J. Monro Gray and C. Thompson She has now departed for pastures new. We wish her every success. Publications. Godfrey Nowlan is editor of Geoscience Canada and Craig Hart is editor of GEOLOG. Corporate Membership (Michael Marchand, Steven McCutcheon, Steve Morison, John Clague, Robert Marquis) develops and presents strategies to promote the Association in the private sector to encourage industry to join in the activities of the Association. DIVISIONS & SECTIONS Many of the Divisions publish informative newsletters where detailed reports and topical information can be found. So too, many of the Sections and Divisions have web sites which can be accessed from the GAC website at http: //www.gac.ca. Roger Mason, Secretary St. John’s, Newfoundland September 2003 GEOLOG 16 GAC Planning - Past, Present, and Future As part of my initiation to the position of Vice-President of GAC, I am in the midst of reviewing a variety of historical documents, with particular focus on the “planning process” in GAC over the past 10 years or so. I feel the need to know how and why GAC has evolved, and what ideas have worked and which have been unsuccessful, and why in both cases! Like me, I expect that many members of GAC are not aware of the extensive planning that has been done on their behalf by GAC Executive and Council over the years. Hence, I think that it is appropriate to use our newsletter as a mechanism to share this information with you, and also to invite any feedback that you may have (contact addresses below). The Geological Association of Canada has a long and mainly illustrious history that began with a meeting in Toronto on February 14th, 1947. The goal of that meeting was to establish an association of geologists which would, among other things, promote, discuss and disseminate geological knowledge. At a second meeting on March 11th, 1947, By-Laws and a Constitution were adopted, the first Councillors were elected, and the name Geological Association of Canada was accepted, with 140 charter members. Then, as now, the objectives of the Association included the following: a) to promote the science of geology, and closely related fields of study, and to promote the knowledge of the members in connection therewith; b) to hold conferences, meetings, and exhibitions for the discussion of geological problems and the exchange of views in matters related to geology; c) to publish various journals and collections of learned papers dealing with geology. In the subsequent 56 years, membership in the GAC expanded from a predominantly mineral-oriented, Toronto-based group to a truly national body with representatives throughout Canada, as well as internationally. For the first twenty years, the Association operated with a series of voluntary executives in temporary quarters. During the period between 1967 and 1983, a degree of stability was established at the University of Waterloo. In the summer of 1983, the headquarters of GAC was moved to Memorial University of Newfoundland, where it remains today. Hence the voluntary contributions from a large number of Canadian geoscientists are now supported by a team of paid staff members who provide continuity and essential back-up support in all aspects of the Association’s operation. Over the years, the scope of the Association, as demonstrated in its activities and publications, has been diverse, and reflected the desire of GAC to serve not only the membership of the Association, but the geological community as a whole. As the membership gradually expanded, groups expressed a desire to hold meetings either on a regional scale or along disciplinary lines. The formation of Sections (regional groups within GAC), Associated Societies, and Divisions of GAC (disciplinary groups) was encouraged. Industrial support to the Association has been made by a variety of companies in the form of Corporate Membership. Clearly, the Geological Association of Canada has contributed significantly to the promotion and development of the geological sciences in Canada. Membership in GAC peaked and stayed close to 3000 during the 1970s and 1980s, but began to decline in the early 1990s. In response, a detailed and enlightening, but in many ways disturbing, demographic study was done in the mid-1990s by then-Secretary- GEOLOG Treasurer, Elliott Burden. The study showed what GAC members of about my age might expect - GAC members were getting older! The average age of a GAC member in 1995 was 48 years! And it was also clear that retirements were exceeding recruitments. With this “writing on the wall” very clear for the future of GAC, the Council and Executive began to contemplate these impending demographic realities, in order to try to change their path, in large part by taking steps to recruit and retain young geoscientists. Not surprisingly, given these demographic challenges, the mid1990s were also the time of visionary reviews of Earth Sciences in Canada (and elsewhere), notably the “Futures Report”. This report, commissioned by the Canadian Geoscience Council and published in Geoscience Canada (Barnes et al. 1995), in the words of then-CGC president Hugh Morris, “speaks for itself as a visionary comment on the evolution, the challenges and the opportunities that lie ahead as Canada’s earth scientists prepare for the next century.” The first step by GAC was to form (in 1993) an ad hoc Strategy Committee with the mandate “to develop a 10-year, forward-looking, strategic plan to promote the goals of the Geological Association of Canada”. This committee explored the role of GAC in Canadian geoscience, with the goal of developing strategies that would enable GAC to thrive. The final report, entitled “Keys to GAC’s Future: a 10-Year Strategy” was presented to and discussed extensively by GAC Executive and Council during 1996. The report recommended that GAC endorse the concept of “Earth System Science” and foster implementation of the recommendations of the “Futures Report”. Three levels of involvement by GAC in the implementation of the recommendations were suggested: (i) a primary implementation role and responsibility, in which GAC could act directly, (ii) a major role to play in concert with other groups, and (iii) recommendations in which GAC should play a more modest advisory role. During succeeding meetings, Council further distilled the recommendations of the “10-Year Strategy” report and focused on 5 recommendations, endorsing for each both general and specific actions that GAC could undertake in both short and long terms. These items formed the basis of an “action plan” entitled “Toward a New Era of Earth Science Integration”. This document was published in 1998 as a glossy brochure and widely circulated nationally and internationally. The view of this document was a new era of cooperation and integration in Canadian Earth Sciences, to develop over the next decade (1998-2008). Five strategies were outlined: 1. Foster new ideas and concepts in the Earth Sciences 2. Promote lifelong education 3. Promote effective management and use of electronic geoscience information 4. Promote public awareness of science 5. Shorten the innovation cycle. For each strategy, specific GAC actions were listed as “we will” items, and many of them have been or are being implemented. Although this document was clearly a major step, it lacked prioritization and scrutiny of what could be accomplished with the human and financial resources available to GAC. Hence, Council during 1999 and 2000 spent a lot of time trying to translate the “action plan” of 1998 into a “business plan”. A major step in that process was reaching agreement on the basic or “core” functions of GAC, listed below in no specific order: Volume 32 No. 3 17 Tribute to GAC Past-President John Clague At our highly successful GAC-MACSEG conference this spring in his home town of Vancouver, John Clague completed his term as GAC President. John, one of Canada’s leading authorities in Quaternary and environmental earth sciences, is now continuing in GAC duties as Past-President, while also tending to his role as Professor and Shrum Chair in Science at Simon Fraser University, President of INQUA (International Union for Quaternary Research), and Emeritus Scientist at the Geological Survey of Canada. John is widely known, having published 200 papers, reports, and monographs on a wide range of earth science topics of regional and national importance. He has prepared innovative geoscience products for educators and the public. He has had numerous television and radio interviews and has been featured in newspaper and magazine articles. His research was featured in a 1997 Discovery Channel documentary on earthquakes and tsunamis on the west coast of Canada, and he spoke on Parliament Hill on this topic. He also is well known as former Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. John also is a member of numerous national and international professional committees and commissions, and supervises MSc and PhD students at Simon Fraser University. He has given over 200 lectures at North American universities, professional meetings, and GAC Planning (cont.) 1. Life-long learning (a) Education - K12 and university (b) Professional Development - field trips, short courses, workshops 2. Public awareness 3. Dissemination of scientific information - meetings, conferences, publications, website, field trips 4. Advocacy for the geosciences (prime body for Canadian geosciences, worldwide) As a result of these discussions, Council in 2000 adopted both Mission and Vision statements for GAC (http://www.gac.ca/ABOUT/ presenti.html#mission). They also developed a “Business Plan” for 2001, and subsequently, a “Business Plan” for 2002. Both were built around the Mission and Vision statements, as well as the definition of the core business functions of the association. Both plans put forth a series of priority actions, for 2001-2002, and 2002-2003, respectively, that were considered to be appropriate to the level of human and financial resources available to GAC. In order of priority, both plans listed: (1) Dissemination of scientific information, (2) Life-long learning, and (3) Public awareness and advocacy of geoscience. Within each category, specific goals were identified (12 in total in both plans, which were essentially identical). Major challenges were identified (not surprisingly very similar in both years), and in order to meet the challenges, specific priority items were identified in both plans. Following acceptance of the first Business Plan in 2000, GAC Council made significant changes to the way the council was organized and run. Committees were realigned and renamed so that it was clear for which part of the Business Plan each was responsible. Council meetings began to focus more on business plan priorities. An attempt was made to weave the activities of Council into the context of the business Plan, so that it was clear where each activity was headed and what was being accomplished. This transition from a “10-year strategy” to a concrete set of actions was a significant and on-going challenge for Council. Autumn 2003 public venues, and reviewed scores of papers for scientific journals. As GAC President, John led a thorough review of the GAC budget, and he worked hard to help launch new fundraising initiatives. His Presidential Address in Vancouver was an inspiring call for us all to contribute to pressing issues such as climate change. His Presidential Preambles in Geolog were equally thoughtful, dealing with his plans for his Presidency, the meaning of the words geology and geoscience, major issues facing Canadian geoscience – research funding, deep time, climate change, and fragmentation – as well as an appeal to support the new GAC Fund of the Canadian Geological Foundation. John’s hard work and diligent commitment as 2002-2003 GAC President is no doubt recognized and acknowledged by the entire Canadian earth science community. Implicit in GAC’s planning deliberations over the years has been the acknowledgement that GAC is part of an evolving Canadian, North American, and indeed global Earth Science spectrum. GAC is only one of about 20 Canadian Earth Science groups that are part of the Canadian Geoscience Council (CGC), an organization that also has been developing new strategies to deal with the changing geoscience environment. Options and directions for the CGC were outlined by John Gartner in the late 1990’s in a series of wideranging “Backgrounder” reports, available on the CGC website (www.geoscience.ca/papersandreports/background.html), and which are still the topic of on-going discussions that both involve and affect GAC. For example, a major change in the Canadian geoscience community with high impact has been the increasing regulation of the profession, as embodied in the Canadian Council of Professional Geoscientists and the growth of professional associations throughout the country (www.ccpg.ca). What are the benefits of being a GAC “Fellow” in this new professional order, and what should the role of organizations like GAC be in the future? Dealing with these and other issues is part of the planning (and implementation) process that is on-going for GAC. The current Council is now developing a Business Plan for 2004. As part of this work, we again are closely examining the demographics of our Association - and to meet that challenge, a major membership drive is now in progress. As in the 1990s, GAC functions as part of the broader geoscience community in Canada, now facing major issues such as the repeated failure of Earth Sciences to do well in the NSERC re-allocation exercise. In the planning process, GAC Council will focus on specific priorities for 2004, each linked to realistic budget constraints and financial incentives, for each Committee: Communications, Publications, Program (Science), and Finance. GAC Council now has a clear picture of its mandate (the “why”); planning will ensure that GAC can continue to achieve that mandate (the “how”). Sandra M. Barr Vice-President, GAC Department of Geology, Acadia University e-mail: [email protected] GEOLOG 18 Harvey Thorleifson 2003-2004 GAC President of mapping to topics such as groundwater modeling. The Geological Association of Canada President for 2003/2004 is Harvey Thorleifson. Harvey joined GAC Council in 1999. During his term as Councilor, he was a member of the Communications Committee as well as the Nuna Coordinator on Program Committee. On Communications Committee, he worked hard under Nancy Chow’s leadership to develop the role of this new, membershipfocused committee, successor to the Education Committee. Harvey also worked with Fran Haidl in her work to build the new Outreach Strategy and Outreach Coordinator role. As GAC representative to the Partnership Group for Science and Engineering (PAGSE), Harvey represented GAC on Parliament Hill on a monthly basis, and was very active on the committee that organizes the ‘Bacon and Eggheads’ breakfasts on Parliament Hill. His PAGSE reports have appeared in GEOLOG since 1999. As Nuna coordinator, Harvey was liaison to Council for the highly successful Nuna meetings on Mineral Deposits and Geologic Time. In 2002, Harvey was named GAC VicePresident and he continued to be very active in Communications Committee business, including Student Chapters, Student Prize, Fortier Award, and GAC Medals. In his year as President, Harvey has committed himself to strongly supporting the efficient internal workings of GAC, including the membership, publications, and conference committees, supported by effective finance and headquarters support. And he has emphasized that GAC financial viability will best be ensured by ensuring relevance with respect to facilitating the progress of our science, and through partnership through the Canadian Geoscience Council with the groups that tend to matters related to the profession and business of geology in Canada. GEOLOG Harvey is originally from western Manitoba. He completed undergraduate education in geography and biology at University of Winnipeg, and then completed a Masters program in geology at University of Manitoba. His Masters thesis dealt with the history of Lake Agassiz. He subsequently attended the University of Colorado in Boulder, where he completed a doctoral dissertation on the glacial history of the Hudson Bay Lowland in northern Ontario. After joining the Geological Survey of Canada in 1986, he managed field programs across southern Canada from Alberta to northern Ontario. He spent the late 1980s working on gold exploration, and his early 1990s work emphasized supporting the fabulously successful Canadian diamond exploration scene. In recent years, his work has increasingly emphasized water-related topics, including regional groundwater modeling, Red River flooding, offshore surveys, soil chemistry, Lake Winnipeg shoreline erosion, and climate change. Concurrently, he has been active in helping to coordinate innovations in geologic mapping methods, to enhance application Dr. Thorleifson is registered as a Professional Geoscientist with the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario. He is an Associate Editor of the journals Geoscience Canada and Journal of Great Lakes Research. He is Past Chair of the Ottawa Branch of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum (CIM), and he toured Canada to speak on diamond exploration as a CIM Distinguished Lecturer in 1999/2000. He has given energetic and enthusiastic presentations on diamond exploration at many venues, including investment seminars in Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and across Australia, and has he has represented Canada at international diamond-related meetings. He has also served on expert panels, including the Expert Technical Advisory Committee of the Ontario Mineral Exploration Technologies Program. He has been active in outreach, and recently authored two chapters for a book on the history of the junction of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba. Dr. Thorleifson also has been active in developing methods for regional groundwater modeling. He was co-chair of workshops held on new 3D geologic mapping methods for groundwater applications held in Illinois in 2001 and in Denver in 2002, and he will be co-organizer of similar sessions in Seattle this November, and at GAC-MAC in St. Catharines in May 2004. On July 1, 2003, Dr. Thorleifson was appointed Director of the Minnesota Geological Survey (MGS) and Professor in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Minnesota. Volume 32 No. 3 19 May in Niagara ROM Chron Gone ... to U of T St. Catharines, Ontario, will be the site of the next Joint Annual Meeting of the Geological Association of Canada and the Mineralogical Association of Canada, and will be hosted for the first time by the Department of Earth Sciences at Brock University. The meeting will be held between May 12 and 14, 2004, and the Local Organizing Committee has already developed a fabulous technical program built around the meeting theme, “Lake to Lake”. This theme is obviously related to the geographic location of St. Catharines between the Great Lakes of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, but also emphasizes that the technical program will address geological, hydrological, and environmental issues related to the origin, history, and future development of the Niagara Region. However, the exciting program of symposia, special and general sessions, short courses, workshops, and field trips will also cover all aspects of the geosciences, and is detailed in the conference website at www.stcatharines2004.ca. The Jack Satterly Geochronology Laboratory at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), closed on June 30, 2003, will relocate to the University of Toronto’s Department of Geology. The geochronology laboratory, which was founded in 1975, is highly regarded internationally for its high-precision rock dating, which details major events of earth’s history – from the origin of the earth’s crust to the role of volcanic activity in the extinction of species. The meeting will be held on Brock University’s scenic campus atop the Niagara Escarpment (a world heritage site), in new lecture rooms equipped with modern projection facilities. All sessions, lunches and social events will be within a few minutes walk of each other to create an atmosphere ideally suited to the exchange of scientific ideas. The exhibits and poster sessions will be housed in a space large enough to allow the posters to remain on display for all three days of the conference. A poster presentation will thus get increased exposure at the conference, and remember that there will be a chance to win one of the prestigious Jerome H. Remick III poster awards worth up to $1000. The ROM, an agency of the Government of Ontario, first announced plans to stop operating the lab in November, 2002 because of the need to accommodate the Renaissance ROM project. The scientific staff and equipment of the lab are moving to the geology department at U of T as renovations are undertaken to accomodate the new facility. The lab will be known as the Jack Satterly Geochronology Laboratory at the University of Toronto. Many of the lab’s staff are already affiliated with U of T and will continue to be supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, such as the lab’s director, Don Davis. St. Catharines is ideally situated close to major airports in Toronto, Hamilton, and Buffalo, and is perfectly located to take advantage of the sights and sounds in the Niagara region. It is a short drive from Niagara Falls, and the Niagara Escarpment, a world heritage site, is responsible for a unique microclimate which allows the growth of some marvellous varieties of grapes which produce some of the best wine in the world. A “Geology and Wine” Special Session, a field trip and an evening of wine tasting, sponsored by a local winery, should spark an interest in exploring some of the other many wineries. Other activities for attendees or guests could include a play at the Shaw Festival in Niagara on the Lake, a trip to the Casino in Niagara Falls, or a visit to the Welland Canal which links Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. In fact, this would be a great conference at which to rent a car because parking for conference registrants on campus is free. In addition, affordable accommodations, including breakfast, will be available in the University’s new residences. Brock University, the Geological Association of Canada, and the Mineralogical Association of Canada invite you to the major geoscience conference in Canada in 2004. It should be a great experience! Information on the conference and St. Catharines region is available at the website, www.stcatharines2004.ca, and by joining the email list you will receive reminders of notification of changes to the technical program and significant deadlines for abstract submission or registration. We will see you there. Kevin Ansdell GAC Science Program Committee Chair Autumn 2003 The Satterly lab has had a rich legacy of discovery and this is no nostalgic rescue effort on behalf of U of T. Department Chair Steve Scott indicated that the Geology department is seizing an opportunity to secure a unique resource for earth science that generates its own research program and can be applied by faculty to resolve important problems in their own fields. The Satterly Lab has been functioning as an important resource for U of T’s geology department for the past 20 years with several of the geology department’s faculty and numerous graduate students and postdoctoral fellows using the facility or output of the lab as an important part of their research. Indeed, the facility shows no signs of abating and it is essential to Canada’s leadership in geochronology. THE EARLY YEARS OF COBALT – ELK LAKE – GOWGANDA, ONTARIO Pages 20-21 Figure Captions Clockwise from top left. 1. Regularly scheduled steamer on Lake Timiskaming and Montreal River to Elk Lake. 2. Portage. Guess who was the paying passenger? 3. Freight canoe shooting rapids on Montreal River. 4. Steamer arriving at Elk Lake. 5. Mur on the trail carrying a pack his own weight. “Dear Floss. Expect to be home next week about Fri. or Sat. Joe and I are here alone now and are living high on lemonade and fresh fruit. Expect Green now. May not write again as I may not be out to town, the flies are so bad on the trail. Yours etc. Mur.” 6. King Edward Hotel, Gowganda. 7. Main street of Elk Lake. “Dear Floss. Mailed a letter today but saw this card and as it shows quite a lot of the town I will send it. I will number some of the places. No. 1 is the restaurant where we ate our supper tonight. No. 2 is the post office. No. 3 Hotel Smyth. Mur” 8. Prospectors’ “home” near Gowganda. Right to left – Joe Green (promoter), Murray Scott, unknown, Joe Dochstadter (Mur’s uncle), unknown. The young man in the centre is really tough – smoking a pipe and a cigar. 9. Downtown Elk Lake. 10. My grandfather told me when I was a young man that there was a white tent in Gowganda (?) where women entertained men. 11. William Murray Scott, prospector and photographer. Background: View of Cobalt town site from across Cobalt Lake. “Hello Floss. Just had dinner at the Prospect Hotel Cobalt. Reached here about 11. and will stay until tomorrow or Monday when we will hit the trail for Elk Lake. This is quite a town but it is built all in a heap. Streets run every way. I think I will send home to have my camera sent up. I can send it back when I get to Gowganda. It is quite warm here today. You can address a letter to me at Elk Lake and I will get it alright Yours Mur.” GEOLOG 20 THE EARLY YEARS OF COBALT – EL A Pictorial Essay from the Photograph Steve Department of Geology The discovery in 1903, by railways workers, of native silver at the Long Lake Construction camp in northeastern Ontario, later named “Cobalt” by Provincial Geologist W.G. Miller, wasn’t met with much initial enthusiasm in the outside world. Eventually, over the next decade, adventurers were attracted to the area to seek their fortunes. One of them was William Murray Scott, my paternal grandfather. Mur was born in 1883 and raised at St. Thomas, Ontario as one of three sons and two daughters of a professional photographer. Two of the sons became bankers but Mur worked in the family business as a young man. He became an accomplished photographer in his own right and in 1910 succeeded his father at Scott Studios that had been a mainstay on Talbot Street in St. Thomas since 1879. Mur won several international awards for his photography. He sold the business in 1955 and it continued to operate as Scott-Sefton Studios until 1989 when it closed its doors forever. The history with some of the photographic collection of this locally fabled photography business is described by Ken Verrell (2001) The Scott-Sefton Collection: Elgin’s History Through a Photographer’s Lens – Volume 1: Elgin County Library, St. Thomas, Ontario. Life in St. Thomas was rather dull for an adventurous husky 26 year old, so in 1909 Mur, a young uncle (Joe Dochstadter) and a GEOLOG Volume 32 No. 3 21 LK LAKE – GOWGANDA, ONTARIO hs and Writings of William Murray Scott e Scott y, University of Toronto friend who had been dismissed from McGill’s medical school, grubstaked by Mur’s uncle Frank Green, headed north to the silver and, hopefully, gold fields of Timiskaming County to try their luck as prospectors. The good ground around the discovery site at Cobalt was all taken up so they moved further west to the newer and thriving settlements of Elk Lake and Gowganda. Mur and his friends spent two years in the area from 1909 to 1911. Although they didn’t find any silver or gold showings of significance, Mur had his camera sent to him. He recorded on film and in brief words on postcards the life of a prospector in an exciting frontier of Ontario and sent them to his fiancée, Florence Baker, in St. Thomas. She had kept all of these memorabilia and, after Mur’s death in 1967, this family legacy was found by their only child and my father, Donald West (deceased 1992). What follows on the 100th anniversary of the discovery of silver at Cobalt is a personalized pictorial essay of the Cobalt – Elk Lake – Gowganda region as handed down through the generations. I, too, have had a long personal association with the region having completed my Master’s thesis on the Siscoe Metals mine at Gowganda in 1964 and continuing geological and mineralogical research in the region for many years after. Ironically, although I knew that my grandfather had been a prospector, I didn’t know where until I was nearly finished my thesis. Autumn 2003 GEOLOG 24 NEW FUND RAISING COMMITTEE & GAC TRUST FUND Fund Raising Committee GAC Endowment Trust Fund At the Vancouver meeting last May, Council approved a Motion to establish a permanent Fund Raising Committee (FRC) to be responsible for organizing, coordinating and reporting on all fund raising activities carried out by, and on behalf of, the GAC. The FRC will be a standing subcommittee of the Finance Committee and be chaired by a GAC member who is not on Council. It will include the Chair of the Finance Committee (ex-officio), the councillor responsible for Corporate Membership and the finance chairs of the Local Organizing Committees (LOCs) for the Annual General Meetings (AGMs). The chairperson will serve a five-year term and may appoint other members, as many as needed and not necessarily GAC members, to the Committee at his/her discretion for two-year terms, renewable for a maximum of six years. Each member of the committee shall have at least one specific responsibility/ portfolio. This fund has been established by the Canadian Geological Foundation (CGF) to support and promote earth sciences in Canada on a continuing basis, and in particular, to assist with the public and professional educational activities that are normally supported by the GAC. The Trust Fund will receive and maintain monies in trust and annually distribute the income therefrom, and such other amounts as required by law, specifically to provide: The FRC will: • Assist the LOCs with getting sponsors, commercial exhibitors, advertising, etc. for the AGMs. • Build and maintain a comprehensive database of actual and potential GAC benefactors. • Actively recruit new corporate members by promoting the existing benefits of belonging to the GAC and develop new benefit packages to attract non-traditional corporate members. • Promote the new GAC Endowment Trust Fund (see below) to current and former members, both corporate and individual, as a tax-deductible vehicle for Planned Giving, Bequests and Endowments, in support of the various educational activities of the GAC. • Actively solicit advertising for Geolog, Geoscience Canada and the GAC web site. • Assist the Publications Committee with getting sponsors to help defray the publishing costs of new books. • Organize fund raising campaigns. The FRC must maintain good communications and working relationships with Headquarters staff so the Chair of the FRC will report directly to the Associate Secretary-Treasurer, who shall be the liaison between the committee and other staff members vis-à-vis work assignments. The Chair will provide quarterly summary reports on its activities to the Associate Secretary-Treasurer and to the Finance Chair, who shall be the committee’s link to Council. The Finance Chair, will report on the activities of the FRC, and bring forward any initiatives that require approval by Council. 1. Grants for the professional development of Canadian geoscientists – · Short Courses, symposia and field trips at the GAC annual general meeting · GAC publications · NUNA conferences · Lecture tours sponsored by the GAC 2. Grants to facilitate public awareness of Earth science in Canada – · Projects of the Canadian Geoscience Education Network (CGEN) · EdGeo workshops for teachers · Lecture tours sponsored by CGEN and the GAC 3. Grants to support the education of Canadian geoscience students – · GAC Student Chapter field trips · GAC scholarships A GAC Endowment Trust Fund has been established in an effort to support and promote earth science activities in Canada. In the Presidential Preamble of the last issue of Geolog (v. 32, no. 2) GAC Past-President John Clague, made a commitment to match any contribution between $100 and $1000, that is made to the GAC Fund by the end of 2003. As he noted, “Not only will you receive a tax receipt for your contribution, your donation will go twice as far…”. Let’s take him up on the challenge! Contributions can be made through GAC headquarters or on your membership renewal form. Additional information at http://www.gac.ca/ MEMBERSHIP/GACfund.htm Council expects to appoint a person as Chair of the FRC before year end. However, other volunteers are still needed so please contact GAC headquarters if you have time to devote to this endeavor. GEOLOG Volume 32 No. 3 25 Students News WIUGC 2004: An Orogeny of Student Geology A Historical Moment: WIUGC 2004 will be the 40th annual Western Inter-University Geology Conference! WIUGC is a non-profit, entirely student organized conference rotating between the earth science departments of the western Canadian universities. The 2004 conference will be a trip to the beaches of Vancouver from January 8th through January 11th. Most recently, WIUGC 2003 was hosted by the University of Regina with about 50 student delegates, and WIUGC 2002 at the University of Alberta with about 340 student delegates. WIUGC provides the unique opportunity for BOTH undergraduate and graduate students in geological sciences to present their research, to learn about recent advances by fellow students and geoscientists, to take mini-courses, and to gain industry recruitment exposure. Rarely do other major conferences emphasize undergraduate thesis research. The WIUGC 2004 itinerary plans to include the traditional career fair and optional mini-course, plus an optional field trip to learn about the local geology. In addition to education, the WIUGC networking is explosive! Student delegates encounter enthusiastic ‘geogeeks’ beyond their own earth science department; industry and academic representatives meet and even recruit future co-workers. The memories, learnings and friendships remain influential for a lifetime. How can industry, government geoscience groups and academia participate? The conference is primarily funded by industry and academic sponsorship. Travel, accommodation, some meals and a small registration fee are paid by the students. The WIUGC 2004 budget proposes approximately $25,000 sponsorship and $19,000 from the student registration fees. Why sponsor? Sponsoring companies receive much more than tax benefits! For example, Silver-level sponsors (donating more than $1000) may choose to set-up a display at the WIUGC career fair, thus exposing themselves to a captive audience of many of Canada’s keenest and brightest geology, geophysics and geological engineering students. Alternatively, sponsors may ‘donate’ speakers or a mini-course to introduce and entice students to a new field of expertise. Sponsors may also include a color ad in the delegate packages. The sponsoring company logos displayed at WIUGC definitely stick in students’ minds after entering the workforce. Vancouver’s standard of living is high, which makes it a beautiful, yet expensive venue to host a conference. We would really appreciate any assistance. Please take the time to contact us so that we may send you a copy of our prospectus. WIUGC FAST FACTS: WIUGC = Western Inter-University Geology Conference A conference for students, focused on student research, organized and run by students Conference dates: Thursday, January 8, 2004Sunday, January 11, 2004. Conference Location: The Coast Plaza Hotel, downtown Vancouver waterfront, B.C. E-mail: [email protected] Phone: (604) 761-1676; Web: www.eos.ubc.ca/hosted/wiugc Fundraising goal: $25,000, Fundraising Coordinator: Diane Hanano of UBC Chair-Coordinator: Julia Davison at UBC [email protected] GAC/MAC 2004 May 12 - 14 St. Catharines, Brock University www.stcatharines2004.ca Autumn 2003 [email protected] GEOLOG 26 Why WIUGC is having it’s 40th Anniversary? WIUGC is the Western Inter-University Geology Conference. It is an annual conference for students focused on student research, which is organized and run by students. Student delegates from geology, earth science, geophysics and geoengineering attend. WIUGC has assisted many students in accomplishing their geo-dreams. Many Geolog readers likely have their own recollections of this conference. Rather than just describe one individual’s impression of WIUGC, a diverse group of UBC student memories are described below. ‘Through the student presentations by WIUGC, I was introduced to the kind of research that other schools were doing, thus helping me determine which university might best accommodate my interests for graduate studies.’ - Chris M. geological engineering, WIUGC 2002, 2003. ‘WIUGC was so much more than geology presentations! It was a cross-cultural expe- rience! The conference provided the excuse, or punishment depending on how one sees it, of experiencing a prairie winter. What else would draw me from the coast to Regina in January? The people there were so friendly, despite living in such a rough climate. The prairies were something else! I was awestruck that the dog-running-awayfor-two-days-jokes are actually true! To top things off, it didn’t rain the whole time!’ - Tiffany Geology WIUGC 2002,2003 ‘This weekend we were on a volcanology field trip up to Mount Meager B.C. There was an honours student with her advisor from the University of Calgary that met up with us. She had been at the WIUGC 2002 held in Edmonton and we had a quick, but great chat reminiscing about WIUGC. It was great to meet someone who I hadn’t seen in a few years. Apparently, a WIUGC presentation from a ‘hard rock university’ student had helped influence her thesis choice.’ ‘The 2002 WIUGC event in Edmonton proved to be a real eye opener for me. The event fostered strong ties with other geology (and geology related) students from across Canada. Beyond the series of informative information sessions and poster presentations given by many of my peers, WIUGC allowed us to foster ‘team pride’ in our various different Universities through team challenges and social events. I even found myself striving to compete in an ice hockey game against the University of Alberta. The amazing thing is that I hadn’t played ice hockey for years and yet ended up fully padded in pizza boxes and pillows (and stuck in front of the goal). UBC managed to win a heart felt victory. While hockey and the numerous other events may not have related directly to the study of geology, they did add to my WIUGC experience and made it one of my fondest memories. WIUGC is an undergrad event that should not be missed.’ - Adrian, UBC Geophysical Engineering, WIUGC 2002 - Chris, Geology UBC, WIUGC 2002, 2003 ... cheap ... easy ... effective ... TRILOBITES SUCK Advertise in GEOLOG details http://www.electrolux.com/ node613.asp ... check out our rates at: www.gac.ca/publicat/geolog.html website http://trilobite.electrolux.co.uk/ ... next deadline ... December.8 GEOLOG Volume 32 No. 3 27 GEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION OF CANADA ASSOCIATION GÉOLOGIQUE DU CANADA ` GAC AGC New Publications From the Geological Association of Canada Short Course Notes 16 Octavian Catuneanu, 2003, 248 p., ISBN: 0-919216-90-0 Sequence Stratigraphy of Clastic Systems provides an in-depth coverage and critical assessment of all current ideas and models in the field of sequence stratigraphy. Concepts are introduced, followed by comprehensive discussions of the practical applications of sequence stratigraphy to depositional systems. GEOtext 4 D. Lentz, ed., 2003, 192 p, ISBN: 0-919216-76-5 Geochemistry of Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks includes reviews by some of the leading experts on petrology, geochemical, stable and radiogenic isotopic systematics of sedimentary rocks and related detrital minerals that compliment the reviews of various mineral deposit-hosting sedimentary environments. Speciality Topic P. Mustard et al., 2003, 148 p., ISBN: 0-919216-85-4 Geology Tours of Vancouver’s Buildings and Monuments illustrates the combined beauty and utility in stone work through touring Vancouver, West Vancouver and North Vancouver. Sixty-five buildings and monuments are included, with an emphasis on their historical - as well as geological - significance. Speciality Topic Larry Hulbert, 2003, CD, ISBN: 0-919216-89-7 Magmatic Platinum Group Element Environments in Canada: Present and Future Exploration Target Areas represents the work presented by GAC Howard Street Robinson Lecturer Larry Hulbert during his nationwide tour in 2002. Short Course Notes 15 S. George Pemberton, 2001, 353 p., ISBN: 0-919216-77-3 Ichnology and Sedimentology of Shallow to Marginal Marine Systems serves to enhance the understanding and utility of ichnological research in shallow marine systems. Features 50-page illustrated Trace Fossil Atlas. Check out these and other great books online at: www.gac.ca/bookstore ` QUALITY GEOSCIENCE FROM CANADA TO THE WORLD GÉOSCIENCES DE QUALITÉ...DU CANADA POUR LE MONDE Autumn 2003 GEOLOG 28 1947 n o s t n u o c Dis s p i h s r e b Mem 50% Discount for New GAC Members 25% Discount for Renewals The Geological Association of Canada (GAC) is Canada’s most broadly based geoscience society. Members receive 4 issues of Geoscience Canada, our flagship quarterly journal, PLUS 4 issues of our provocative & timely quarterly newsmagazine Geolog. Members also receive generous discounts on books and conference registration. With savings like this, it’s almost like a free membership! So, please join or renew your membership for 2004 by completing the membership application at: www.gac.ca/MEMBERSHIP/membership.htm And please do so now, because we have a special limited-time offer on 2004 memberships that is only available until December 1, 2003! ! 50% discount for new and reinstating members ($60.00 plus tax) ! 50% discount for new retired and unemployed members ($45.00 plus tax) ! 25% discount for renewal of 2003 membership ($90.00 plus tax) ! 25% discount for renewal of 2003 retired and unemployed membership ($67.50 plus tax) Existing special rates & discounts for students, corporate members and spousal members continue to apply. Of course, with an offer this good, you may want to ensure that your co-workers take advantage too. Be sure to let them know! Thank you for your continued support of GAC. Canada’s premiere geoscience society Serving geoscientists since 1947 GEOLOG Volume 32 No. 3 29 1947 a a a a a a a a a a f o s t i f e n Be p i h s r e b m Me Subscription to Geoscience Canada, GAC's Flagship Journal ($85 Value) Subscription to Geolog, GAC's informative, provocative and entertaining newsmagazine ($35 Value) a a a a a Generous Discount on GAC publications Save $188 on Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences subscription Save $106 on Canadian Geotechnical Journal subscription Reduced registration fee at GAC-MAC annual meetings Networking opportunities with 12 Specialist Divisions and 5 Regional Sections Networking opportunities with leading experts around the world - GAC has more than 2300 members in 17 countries Publishing opportunity with GAC’s own professional publishing house Opportunity to participate in GAC's national term-life and family insurance plan at Association rates. Disability, critical illness and health and dental benefits are also available Opportunity to subscribe to GAC's email list - a vehicle to discuss topical issues and exchange of information Fellows are granted voting privileges and have the opportunity to choose their representation in GAC at the annual general meeting Website resources at www.gac.ca Opportunity to serve your profession through volunteer participation with the national body Become more involved in celebrating Canada’s most prestigious geoscience awards Canada’s premiere geoscience society Serving geoscientists since 1947 Autumn 2003 GEOLOG 30 History of Economic Geology This is the third chapter in a series that is attempting to trace the emergence of economic (mining) geology as a separate specialty about a century ago. The new specialty was stimulated by the rapid growth of mining exploration and development in the Western United States during the second half of the Nineteenth Century, which created the first opportunity for the examination, and communication of ideas about deposits around the globe. The focus is on the geologists and mining engineers who made lasting contributions to genetic, as well as descriptive, studies of mineral deposits. It is hoped that the series will generate discussion and elicit contributions from readers. Bob Cathro ([email protected]) Roots in Erzgebirge, Saxony and Bohemia II The previous chapter (Geolog, v. 33, No.2) discussed the recognition of the Central European Mineral Belt (CEMB) during the Middle Ages. The early history of this belt, a major source of silver, lead, gold, and tin (and later zinc, copper, tungsten, bismuth and uranium), is worthy of some discussion because it was to have such a profound impact on European civilization and world history. Moreover, much of our mining law, mining and metallurgical practices, the study of mineralogy and paragenesis, and the first genetic theories about ore deposits were developed in this region. Placer gold, silver and tin were recovered by the Celts and the first lode mining may date as far back as Roman times, although the CEMB always remained outside the northern boundary of the Roman Empire. While the dates of the earliest lode mining history are unclear, it likely commenced or resumed during the rein of Charlemagne (Charles the Great; 714-832), under whose rule the Frankish Kingdom reached its greatest extent from its base near Paris. He established his capital at Aachen, near Cologne. The kingdom and its symbiotic relationship with mining have been well described by Poss (1975). As a result of the Frankish conquest of Central Europe, an ardent religious crusade and the spread of a common language became important unifying forces that led to a new spirit of enterprise and helped to lift Europe out of the Dark Ages. The focus of expansion moved eastward into the area lying east of the Rhine River and north of the Danube, partly because of its mineral potential. Ag-Au-Pb deposits at Schemnitz (Hungary) and Kremnitz (Slovak Republic) were exploited using slaves by 745 or earlier, and a new silver-based denier coin was introduced that became the main currency in Europe. Whereas silver and gold were needed for coinage and jewelry, copper and tin were essential for the manufacture of bronze, which was used to make cannons and various religious objects such as bells, doors, ornaments, and altars. The demand for metals and building stone became insatiable; by the middle of the 13th Century, over 500 Gothic cathedrals and 1500 Romanesque churches had been constructed in France and Germany. The 12th and 13th Centuries, which were the most brilliant cultural era of the Middle Ages, saw the growth of new classes of entrepreneurs and serfs. The latter were encouraged, through training schools, to prospect and mine under the first system of claims and concessions. Miners and prospectors were known as hill-men (montani in Bohemia and bergleute in Saxony), a name derived from the silver district of Laurium in Greece (Rickard, 1947). This was probably the first global instance, when mining was performed by men who were not slaves (Poss, op. cit.). Habashi (1998) offer more on the relationship between mining and the church. According to the legend, veins rich in silver were discovered at Rammelsberg in 938 by the horse Ramelus. It soon became the most important source of copper, lead and silver in Central Europe. Even richer silver veins were discovered at Freiberg in 1168, while other major discoveries were made later in the 12th Century at St. Andreasberg (Ag), Jílové (Au), and Ehrenfriedersdorf (Sn), and the Príbram, Horni Slavkov and Kutná Hora mines were found during the 13th Century. The latter, an important silver producer, was the main source of income for the Czech kings for a long time. Evidence from coinage and the mining code suggest that it may have been discovered even earlier. The silver mining town of Iglau (now Jíhlava in the Czech Republic) supplied gold for the Royal court and received a charter in 1249 that developed into one of the first practical codes of mining law (Pouba and Ilavský, 1968). In 1347, an epidemic of bubonic plague, called the Black Death, killed 25 million people, one third of the entire European population, within a five-year period and plunged the economy, including the mining industry, into a deep depression that lasted for about a century. When mining gradually resumed, new technology was developed to treat complex sulfide ores and remove water from deeper mines. Water-lifting machines used by the Chinese, Moors and Romans were introduced and improved, and horses were also employed in the mines for the same purpose. Capital was raised by selling shares and the era of bankers, capitalists and wage earners emerged. Tin production in the CEMB rivaled that from the mines in Cornwall, England and mining and metallurgical practices were unsurpassed anywhere (Poss, op. cit.). This was the world that Georg Bauer entered when he became town physician in the new mining town of Joachimsthal in 1527 and began to use his power of observation, writing skill, and knowledge of the new printing press to share this expertise with the world. By then, his name had been Latinized by his teachers to Georgius Agricola, as was the custom at the time. He was the author of seven important books on metals and natural science, all written in Latin and printed by the Froben Press. The most important was De Re Metallica, his treatise on the arts of mining and smelting, which was published in 1556, the year after his death. It contains only incidental references to geology and mineralogy and is most noteworthy to geologists for its wonderful collection of woodcuts that illustrate contemporary prospecting, mining and metallurgical methods. Although some of Agricola’s books are considered to be historically important mineralogy references, the most valuable from an economic geology standpoint was De Ortu et Causis Subterraneorum (The Origin and Causes of the Subterranean Earth), published in 1546, because it contains his ideas on the origin of metals. It has never been translated into English. He was the first to state two fundamental principles of ore deposition, namely that ore channels are younger than the enclosing rocks and that the ore minerals were deposited from solutions. He also divided mineral deposits into three types, fissure veins, bedded deposits, and impregnations. His most important contribution was his theory that there are two types of water within the crust, vapor of subterranean origin and rainwater, both of which become impregnated with mineral matter and become ‘lapidifying juice’ (nobilis succus) that deposit metallic minerals in cracks and fissures as veins. His treatise contained the germ of two ideas that took more definite form 300 years later, ascending water and lateral secretion. (Adams, 1938). Agricola’s simple theory was remarkably close to modern understanding. Hoover & Hoover (1912) considcont. next page GEOLOG Volume 32 No. 3 31 ered it to be “a much greater step from what had gone before than that of almost any single observer since”, and felt that his main error was in attributing the creation of ore channels to erosion alone (p. 52). posed; by Ludwig Baumann for the Erzgebirge, and by Jan Bernard, who proposed the currently accepted classification of the stages (“formations”) for Bohemia (G. Beaudoin, personal communication). As strange as it may seem, the scientists, teachers and mining engineers who followed Agricola tended to ignore his genetic theory. Because of that, over 300 years passed without any significant advance being made on the origin of mineral deposits, although numerous theories were advanced by leading scientists in Central Europe and elsewhere to explain the ever-increasing body of information that was accumulating from the study of the mines. One scientist mentioned by Adams who did develop a perceptive theory on the origin of metal during that period but who has been overlooked, is Johann Joachim Becher (1635-1682), whose treatise was published in Frankfurt in 1653. He believed that the center of the earth was intensely hot, that the heat acted on saline water to produce immense volumes of steam and exhalations, and that these were forced through pores and fractures to surface. Pure vapors would produce fresh spring water, less pure vapor would produce saline springs, and other fumes that contained a ‘metallic seed’ would condense in fissures and pores in the form of metallic ores. He also postulated that mineralization would become more abundant with depth. The best available synthesis is by Dunning and Evans (1986), who stated “Anyone who has tried to gather information on the geology of European ore deposits knows the frustration that such an endeavour entails. No concise, comprehensive description of the ferrous, non-ferrous and non-metallic mineral deposits of Europe is available in English, or for that matter in any other language; in fact, most European countries lack comprehensive descriptions of their own mineral deposits even in their national languages.” There are several reasons for this. First of all, most of the mineral belt was under Nazi German or Soviet Russian control for almost 60 years, starting in the mid-1930s in Germany and extending to the Czech side of the Erzgebirge, known as Sudetenland, in September 1938. Prior to that, English was not as preeminent and the geology of the region was mainly published in German or Czech. Second, information on metal production and potential, particularly for uranium and the alloy metals, was classified for strategic military reasons during the Cold War. By the time it ended, most of the old mines in the CEMB had closed. One contemporary of Agricola’s who made an important contribution to mining was Lazarus Ercker (1530-1594), the superintendent of mines for the Austrian Court. He brought order from the bewildering array of empirical techniques and superstition surrounding the assaying and testing of ores by publishing the first comprehensive assay manual in Prague in1574. It described not only the ores and techniques for assaying them, but also the preparation of reagents and the construction of analytical apparatus. His manual dominated the field for 150 years and was translated into English in 1683 (Faul and Faul, 1983). Agricola, Georgius, 1556: De Re Metallica: Froben Press, Basel; translated into English by Hoover, Herbert Clark and Lou. Henry Hoover; Mining Magazine, London, 1912; (reprinted by Dover Publications, Inc., New York, 1950). Before continuing the discussion of the proponents of the various genetic theories of metallic deposits, it will be helpful to present, in the next chapters, a short summary of the metallogeny and mineralogy of the principal ore deposits in the CEMB, most of which are veins. That will provide a better understanding of what the pioneer geologists and mining engineers based their genetic theories on. Although this is one of the most thoroughly studied and described mineral belts in the world, concise, modern references in English are only available to those with access to a good library. The mineralogy of the deposits was well established at the beginning of the 20th century by Breithaupt and other well- known mineralogists, including the famous Ramdohr, and the structural pattern had also been established. Different paragenetic schemes had been proAutumn 2003 References Dunning, F.W. and Evans, A.M., editors, 1986: Preface; in Mineral Deposits of Europe, Volume 3: Central Europe; The Institution of Mining and Metallurgy and The Mineralogical Society, London. Faul, Henry and Faul, Carol, 1983, It Began With a Stone: A History of Geology From the Stone Age to Plate Tectonics; John Wiley, New York. Habashi, Fathi, 1998: Mining, Metallurgy and the Church; CIM Bulletin, Volume 91, No. 1025, November/December 1998, p. 97-103. Hoover, Herbert Clark and Hoover, Lou Henry, 1912: Introduction; in their English translation of De Re Metallica, Mining Magazine, p. vi-xviii. Poss, John R., 1975: Stones of Destiny: Keystones of Civilization; Michigan Technical University, Houghton, p. 130-143. Pouba, Zdenêk and Ilavský, Ján, 1986: Czechoslovakia, in Mineral Deposits of Europe, Volume 3: Central Europe; F.W.Dunning and A.M.Evans, editors; The Institution of Mining and Metallurgy and The Mineralogical Society, London, p. 117-118. Rickard, T.A., 1947: The Romance of Mining; Macmillan Canada, Toronto. GEOLOG 32 Mélange Ray Price Awarded OofC One of Canada’s foremost geologists, Ray Price, Professor Emeritus at Queen’s University, has been awarded Canada’s highest honour for lifetime achievement - The Order of Canada . The Order of Canada was established in 1967 to recognize outstanding achievement and service in various fields of human endeavour. In his continuing distinguished career, Dr Price has made significant contributions to our understanding of the geology of Canada, with special reference to the Canadian Cordillera in Alberta and British Columbia. He has also held many positions of leadership serving as Director General of the Geological Survey of Canada from 1982-1987, and Assistant Deputy Minister of the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources (the predecessor of today’s Department of Natural Resources) from 19871988. The citation read at his induction states: “For over 40 years, Raymond Price has been enhancing Canada’s stature in the international geoscience community. Professor emeritus at Queen’s University, he is a world-renowned geologist and authority on the structure and tectonic evolution of Canada’s Rocky Mountains. As a former Director General of the Geological Survey of Canada, he provided visionary leadership and enhanced the organization’s reputation, as well as its involvement in national and international collaborative ventures. In addition, he has served with numerous professional organizations both at home and abroad.” True Blue Rare Gem Found in the Yukon Bill Wengzynowski, a geologist working in the south-eastern Yukon, has not only discovered emeralds, but has also uncovered something potentially even more valuable: a transparent deep blue gemstone. Gemmologists are studying samples to see if they are an entirely new mineral, or else a blue variety of beryl called maxixe, which is so rare that it has only been found once before, in Brazil. If they are maxixe, they seem to be unlike the Brazilian version in one important way: the Brazilian gems fade from deep blue to nearly colourless when exposed to strong sunlight, but the Yukon samples seem to be photo-stable. Lee Groat of the University of British Columbia is working with Bill to study the chemistry of the gemstone and the accessory minerals that occur with it. “If we can understand why they’re there,” says Dr. Groat, “then we can work out where to look for more.” The gems were found on a property in the Finlayson Lake area. Now called “True Blue”, the emeralds and the property belong to True North Gems. Sample images may be viewed on their website: www.truenorthgems.com/s/Home.asp. HOWARD STREET ROBINSON FUND The Robinson Fund was established in 1977 by the Geological Association of Canada, using a bequest from the estate of Howard Street Robinson. The fund is dedicated to the furtherance of scientific study of Precambrian Geology and Metal Mining by: • sponsoring an annual Distinguished Lecturer Tour whose focus alternates between Precambrian research and economic geology (lecturer alternately chosen by the GAC’s Precambrian and Mineral Deposits divisions); • supporting Special Projects including publications, symposia and conferences. GEOLOG Proposals for special projects on Precambrian Geology or Metal Mining should be submitted to the Robinson Fund Committee. Projects should be sponsored or organized through the GAC or one of its Divisions or Sections. Proposals that have a wide appeal or degree of accessibility to the GAC membership are preferred. For further information and proposal submissions, please contact: Benoit Dubé, Chairman, Robinson Fund Geological Survey of Canada 2535 Laurier, CP 7500 Ste-Foy, QC, G1V 4V7 418 654 2669 [email protected] Volume 32 No. 3 33 From the Geological Society Publishing House • Special Publication 214 Hydrocarbons in Crystalline Rocks Edited by N. Petford and K. J. W. McCaffrey Given that most OPEC countries are currently at or within 5% of production capacity, there is a growing need to look for ‘new oil’ and other hydrocarbons in non-traditional sources. • ISBN 1-86239-137-8 • June 2003 • 248 pages • Hardback • Prices List: £65.00/US$108.00 GSL/GA: £32.50/US$£54.00 AAPG/SEPM/GSA: £39.00/US$65.00 While oil and gas fields in crystalline basement are still discovered mostly by accident, as shown in this book, such reservoirs can be very prolific, especially if the basement rock is highly faulted or fractured. The chapters in this volume cover a diverse range of topics related broadly to the theme of hydrocarbons in crystalline rocks, and challenge explorationists’ definition of basement rock, which needs to be less narrow and more responsive to new geological ideas. • Special Publication 215 Applications of X-ray Computed Tomography in the Geosciences Edited by F. Mees, R. Swennen, M. Van Geet and P. Jacobs • ISBN 1-86239-139-4 • August 2003 • 243 pages • Hardback • Prices List: £65.00/US$108.00 GSL/GA: £32.50/US$£54.00 AAPG/SEPM/GSA: £39.00/US$65.00 X-ray computed tomography (CT) is a technique that allows non-destructive imaging and quantification of internal features of objects. It was originally developed as a medical imaging technique, but it is now also becoming widely used for the study of materials in engineering and the geosciences. X-ray CT reveals differences in density and atomic composition and can therefore be used for the study of porosity, the relative distribution of contrasting solid phases and the penetration of injected solutions. As a non-destructive technique, it is ideally suited for monitoring of processes, such as the movement of solutions and the behaviour of materials under compression. • Special Publication 207 Petroleum Geology of Africa: New Themes and Developing Technologies Edited by T. J. Arthur, D. S. Macgregor and N. R. Cameron • ISBN 1-86239-128-9 • August 2003 • 296 pages • Hardback • Prices List: £75.00/US$125.00 GSL/GA: £37.50/US$£63.00 AAPG/SEPM/GSA: £45.00/US$75.00 As frontier exploration in Africa moves into ever-deeper water and new basins, there is an increasing need to mitigate the high costs by reducing risk. One way of doing this is by drawing on knowledge from other areas. The book includes regional papers ranging from syntheses on a continental scale to details of the salt tectonics of the West African margin. It also addresses the need to continue using technologies to their limits by including papers on topics as diverse as gravity interpretation and fluid inclusion studies. The book provides essential reading for those requiring further insight into the origins of Africa’s diverse petroleum systems, and will be key to geologists and geophysicists involved in the exploration for and exploitation of oil and gas throughout Africa. Of particular note is the supplementary CD containing maps of Africa’s petroleum basins classified by age of target reservoir system. Postage: UK: £3.00 per order Europe: +15% (£7.50 minimum) Rest of world: +15% (£10.00 minimum). This applies to all books advertised on this page. Please post or fax your order to: Geological Society Publishing House, Unit 7 Brassmill Enterprise Centre, Brassmill Lane, Bath BA1 3JN, UK Fax: +44 (0)1225 442836 Enquiries: Tel: +44(0)1225 445046 Email: [email protected] Autumn 2003 GEOLOG 34 WALTER OSCAR KUPSCH (1919-2003) The academic community and the GAC lost one of its most respected senior academic figures when Walter O. Kupsch, Professor and Professor Emeritus of Geology in the University of Saskatchewan for fifty-three years, died suddenly on July 5, in Royal University Hospital, Saskatoon. He had been a GAC member since 1962 and was most recently the Honourary Chair of the 2002 GAC/MAC meeting in Saskatoon. Born and raised in Amsterdam, Walter Kupsch’s higher education was interrupted by service in the Netherlands army during the initial year of WW II, following which he became a member of the Dutch Resistance while enrolled as an undergraduate and graduate student of geology in the University of Amsterdam (BSc equivalent, 1943). At the end of the war, newly married and holding a NetherlandsAmerica Foundation Scholarship, he sailed for the United States where he had been accepted to undertake further graduate work in the University of Michigan (MSc 1948; PhD 1950). Appointment to the faculty of the University of Saskatchewan followed, launching the academic career that was to span the rest of his life. It saw him develop into a popular teacher of high repute - one of the most influential junior-class instructors in the University - and become an internationally known specialist in glacial geology and the history of geology. Appointments as Executive Director of the Carrothers Commission on Government of the Northwest Territories and Director of the University’s Institute for Northern Studies in 1965 did more than launch Walter Kupsch’s career in public service. They ignited in him a fascination with the Canadian North, which in turn prompted numerous books and papers on Arctic and Subarctic exploration. He initiated The Musk-ox - a Journal of the North as the organ of his Institute, contributed to it extensively himself, and edited it from 1981 to 1994. In parallel fashion, discovery of rich uranium mineralization in the Athabasca Basin of northern Saskatchewan in 1972 generated in him an interest in the history of mineral exploration, which then spawned scholarly works on industrial and precious-metal discoveries. Calls to undertake sustained public and professional service based on his scientific interests and knowledge had a profound impact on Walter Kupsch’s career. His response to these calls was immedi- ate and unstinting. He directed the Churchill River Study for the governments of Canada, Saskatchewan and Manitoba (1973-76) and provided research assistance to the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly (1976-79). He was chair, vice-chair or member of eight bodies, including the Science Council and key committees of the Defence Research Board and the Environmental Assessment Agency, reporting to the Government of Canada, and of seven other bodies reporting to the governments of Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories (1967-96). He sat on the Board of Governors of the Arctic Institute of North America (1969-74) and was vice-chair and chair of the Board during the last two years of his appointment. His roles as chair or member of eight international or national geological bodies between 1970 and 2000 included service twice as General Chair of annual meetings of the Geological Association of Canada, when this society assembled in Saskatoon in 1973 and 1987. In addition to being a GAC Fellow, Walter Kupsch was elected to fellowship in the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (1957) and the Geological Society of America (1961; History of Geology Divisional Award, 2001); and in non-disciplinary bodies, such as the Arctic Institute of North America (1973). Among other honours, he cherished greatly his election to fellowship in the Royal Society of Canada (1963), his appointment to the Order of Canada (1996), the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws conferred upon him by the University of Saskatchewan (1997), and his award of the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Medal (2002). He is survived by his wife, Emmy, three children, and three grandchildren, all resident in North America, and by a sister-in-law and niece in The Netherlands. The family, colleagues, professional associates in academia, government, and industry, and a large coterie of friends and former students are saddened by his loss. They may reflect admiringly and fondly, however, on the career of a man who distinguished himself in every sphere of academic life and in service to the common good. W.G.E. (Glen) Caldwell London ON Walter and Glen were colleagues at the University of Saskatchewan for 31 years. Portuguese Geological Institute Faces Extinction The Portuguese Geologic and Mining Institute (IGM) is at risk of extinction due to an approval of a proposal by the Council of Ministers of Portugal on 27 of May of 2003. The statements that define this governmental proposal are unknown to the workers and directors of this Institution. The Geologic and Mining Institute has been a national reference institution within the geoscience area over the past 150 years and provides crucial services to the nation. GEOLOG With the extinction of IGM, Portugal will become the only European country without an autonomous national institute in this technical and scientific area. In a time which geosciences assume a relevant role in environmental, public works and territorial planning areas that extends beyond the traditional methods of application, it is outlandish this decision that is prejudicial to the general interest of the country. Volume 32 No. 3 35 2003 Canadian Geological Foundation Grants The Canadian Geological Foundation was established in 1968 as a non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to assist in the development of the geological sciences across Canada. Since then, the Foundation has awarded over $1,000,000 in support of a wide variety of geoscience projects. The Foundation disburses between $25,000 and $50,000 annually from income derived from two funds - the Foundation Trust Fund and the Jérôme H. Remick III Endowment Trust Fund. Thirteen new grants with a total value of $41,500 were approved this year at the Foundation?s 39th annual meeting, held on May 25, 2003 in Vancouver in conjunction with the GACMAC-SEG 2003 meeting. Foundation Trust Fund Interactive Palaeontological Program (student educational activity) Tim Fedak, Fundy Geological Museum $2,000 Dynamic Earth Visitor Centre (exhibit) Audrey Dugas, Science North Foundation $3,000 Geology Tours of Downtown Vancouver (guidebook) $2,500 Karen Dawe, Publications Committee, Geological Association of Canada Geology of the Canadian Cordillera (textbook) $3,000 Karen Dawe, Publications Committee, Geological Association of Canada Nova Scotia’s GEOhopper Scavenger Hunt (children’s educational activity) Pat MacKin $2,000 Jérôme H. Remick III Endowment Trust Fund New Brunswick EdGEO Workshop (teacher education) Murray Gingras and David Lentz, Atlantic Geoscience Society $1,500 History of Geology (book) $2,000 Karen Dawe, Publications Committee, Geological Association of Canada Geology of Mount Robson Provincial Park (brochure) Gerry Ross and Lindsey Ireland $3,000 Atlas of Migmatites (textbook) Pierrette Tremblay, Mineralogical Association of Canada $4,000 Geology of the Kelowna Area (guidebook - reprinting) John Greenough, Kelowna Geology Committee (loan) $4,000 (grant)$4,000 Atlantic Universities Geological Conference 2003 (conference) $1,000 Andree DeLazzer, Hope Simpson Geology Club, St. Mary’s University Canada Prize for Earth & Environmental Science (bridge funding)(loan) $9,500 Hugh Morris, Canada Prize Awards Foundation A call for applications for grants to be awarded in May 2004 will be made later this year. Interested parties should look for this information in the next issue of Geolog, and on the Foundation’s page on the GAC’s website (http://www.gac.ca). Additional information about the Foundation is also available from the Secretary at the following address: Mike Cherry, Secretary, Canadian Geological Foundation c/o Mineral Resources Branch, Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources P.O. Box 698, Halifax, NS, B3J 2T9 E-mail: [email protected], Tel: 902-424-8135 Autumn 2003 Earthshaking! In “Dancing Elephants and Floating Continents” author and geologist John Wilson explores the story of the Earth’s formation and future. Complete with continents that crash and crush, oceans that vanish and reappear, and mountain ranges that rise and crumble, it is an adventure story like no other. Drawing on his own fascination with geology and using data from the internationally renowned, Canadian-run scientific program called Lithoprobe - and its giant earth-pounding trucks known as Dancing Elephants - readers will discover: where to find the oldest piece of the Earth’s crust, and how it got there; how part of Africa came to rest in Nova Scotia; what meteorites have left behind and why it’s important; and why the residents of British Columbia should buy earthquake insurance. Including hands-on activities and experiments to help readers understand how the Earth’s major evolutionary changes have occurred, “Dancing Elephants and Floating Continents” is a fascinating look at the land that we live on, how it got there and where it is going. This book is available through the GAC Online Bookstore at www.gac.ca for $33.00 CDN/US (price includes shipping/handling and taxes) or at a bookstore near you. “Dancing Elephants & Floating Continents” By John Wilson Key Porter Books ISBN: 1-55263-200-8 Hardcover; 48 pages GEOLOG 36 PAGSE submission to House of Commons Finance Committee September 2003 GAC is a member of the Partnership Group for Science and Engineering (PAGSE; see http://www.pagse.org/; Geolog 1999, v. 28, no.4, p. 42), a cooperative association of more than 20 national organisations, that is the principal voice representing the Canadian science and engineering community to the Government of Canada. An annual fee of $500 is paid for this membership, and Simon Hanmer is now the formal GAC representative at monthly PAGSE meetings (following GAC president Harvey Thorleifson’s recent departure from Ottawa). Former GAC President Denis St. Onge is also a member of PAGSE and, with regular input from Jim Franklin, he and Hanmer also sit on the PAGSE committee responsible for the “Bacon & Eggheads” science and engineering breakfasts on Parliament Hill. Hanmer will assume the responsibilities of Chair of PAGSE as of January 1st, 2004. the US, UK, Japan and Australia. Such an office would represent and provide a coordinated and cohesive approach to issues relevant to research and innovation at the highest political level, thereby addressing a major gap in science governance in Canada. Each autumn, PAGSE makes a presentation to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance. In this year’s submission (September 25th, 2003) PAGSE re-enforced its endorsement of recent federal initiatives, including the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Canada Research Chairs, Genome Canada, the Sustainable Development Technology Fund, the Canada Graduate Scholarships, and significant contributions to the Indirect Costs of scientific research (principally infrastructure), as well as increased funding provided to granting agencies, including NSERC. Furthermore, this year PAGSE has recommended new initiatives in five areas: a PMO Office of Science and Innovation, the setting of priorities for research, the commercialisation of research, the international dimension of research, and research cluster development. Commercialisation of research: PAGSE noted that technology transfer and business enterprise are now important elements of the outcomes of some university-based research. Many universities need to build the capacity for commercialisation of their research, and the business sector needs new instruments to ensure success in transferring new research ideas into the commercial realm, as well as increased access to venture capital. PAGSE recommended that the Canadian Government should allocate new resources to these different aspects of commercialisation of university-based research, such as a Commercialisation Office reporting to Industry Canada, or a similarly mandated NGO, as well as minimising barriers to industry-university partnerships. In addition, to accelerating the facilitation of commercialisation, PAGSE recommended that government ensure that graduate students and Post Doctoral Fellows working in small and medium enterprises be paid regular salaries as opposed to lower stipends, and that these researchers PMO Office of Science and Innovation: PAGSE recommended the establishment of an Office of Science and Innovation within the PMO, in line with similar institutions in GEOLOG Setting priorities for research: Reiterating its approbation of recent federal initiatives in the realm of science and engineering, PAGSE opined that the time has come to evaluate how these new initiatives fit with existing programs (e.g. granting agencies, Centres of Excellence, NRC) in addressing research and innovation in Canada. Accordingly, PAGSE indicated that determining the priorities for science and engineering research in this country for the next 5-7 years will be of enormous value, demonstrating a reinvigorated and coordinated approach across all sectors of research and innovation (academia, government and industry). be supported by NRC’s Industrial Research Assistance Program. Furthermore, government should extend the scientific research tax credit programs to companies to include those that have yet to reach profitability. International dimension: Recognising that research is a global enterprise, and that Canada can profit from international collaboration in terms of alliances and access to facilities not availabl;e domestically, PAGSE recommended the creation of an International Innovation Fund ($30M/yr) to support research partnerships, potentially involving academia, government and industry. Granting agencies and cluster development: PAGSE congratulated the government on the increased funding attributed to NSERC, SSHRC and CIHR in recent years. However, it noted that major challenges remain for these agencies. These include unexpectedly large numbers of new applicants, and the requirement for higher levels of support for trailblazers and rising stars to support their global competitiveness. PAGSE believes that the granting agencies, industry and NRC should partner to build new research and development clusters to serve as springboards for economic growth, and recommended the creation of a new industry-driven Triagency Cluster Development program, and an increase in support to the three granting agencies. Those interested are encouraged to contact me regarding PAGSE and matters pertaining to the GAC at the coordinates below. Simon Hanmer Geological Survey of Canada 601 Booth Street, Ottawa ON K1A 0E8 Tel: 613-992-4704; Fax 613-943-5318; [email protected] Volume 32 No. 3 37 GEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION OF CANADA ASSOCIATION GÉOLOGIQUE DU CANADA GAC AGC Also available online from the Geological Association of Canada Speciality Topic Brian Grant, 2003, 356 pages Geoscience Reporting Guidelines is the follow-up to the much-used ‘Art and Science of Writing Geoscience Reports’. Features guidelines essential to all earth scientists. Includes a quick-reference Geologic Time Scale. Palaeontographica Canadiana B. Hunda et al., 2003, 87 p., 21 pls. Silicified Late Ordovician trilobites from the Mackenzie Mountains Northwest Territories Canada identifies 33 species of trilobites - including 15 new species. Cordilleran Section Publication Various authors, 2003 Geological Field Trips in Southern British Columbia was developed in conjunction with the joint Conference of GAC-MAC-SEG held in Vancouver in 2003. This Guidebook explores some of the most discussed geological regions and topics in Southern British Columbia. Cordilleran Section Publication R.A. Price and J.W.H. Monger, 2003, 165 pages A Transect of the Southern Canadian Cordillera from Calgary to Vancouver was developed as a three-day field trip across the southern Canadian Cordillera. This updated text was released at the 2003 joint meeting of GACMAC-SEG. MDD Publication J.W. Lydon, T. Höy, J.F. Slack, and M.E. Knapp, 2001, 804 pages The Geological Environment of the Sullivan Deposit covers the spectrum from the tectonic history, igneous petrology, geochronology, regional isotopic studies and geophysical survey of the Belt-Purcell Supergroup, particularly the Aldridge Formation, to compilations of Cominco’s data and new lithogeochemical, and fluid inclusion data. Included is a CD containing all the data generated and compiled during the project. MDD Publication R. Sherlock and M.A.V. Logan, 2000, 650 pages VMS Deposits of Latin America contains 37 papers on volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits in the Carribean, Mexico, Central and South America. The papers range from descriptions and research on individual deposits to district wide compilations and synthesis. QUALITY GEOSCIENCE FROM CANADA TO THE WORLD GÉOSCIENCES DE QUALITÉ...DU CANADA POUR LE MONDE Autumn 2003 GEOLOG 38 Calendar 2003 * = new entry November 2 – 5 GSA 115th Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA Geological Society of America. Tel: 303 357-1038; Fax: 303 357-1072; E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.geosociety.org/meetings/ index.htm November 6 SEG Field Trip, Hydrothermal Alteration in Ancient and Modern Volcanoes, Mount Rainier Area: Applications to Ore Genesis and Volcanic Hazards, WA E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.segweb.org/SAFieldTrip.htm and www.segweb.org/SAFieldTripReg.pdf *November 14 - 18 Yukon Geoscience Forum, Whitehorse, Yukon Web: http://www.ycmines.ca/forum.html; E-mail: [email protected] *November 19 - 21 NWT Geoscience Forum, Yellowknife, NWT Web: http://www.nwtgeoscience.ca/ newfiles/ykforum.html November 24 SEG Student Chapter U. Laval-INRSETE Short Course, Diamonds and Kimberlites, Chateau Frontenac, PQ E-mail: [email protected]; Web: www.segweb.org/ UofTdiamondcourse.pdf November 24 – 25 Sustainable Minerals Conference, London, UK E-mail: [email protected] November 24 – 27 Québec Exploration 2003, Ministère des Ressources naturelles du Québec and the Québec Mineral Exploration Association, Quebec City, PQ Tel: 418 627-8609 or 1 800 463-4558; Email: [email protected] GEOLOG December 1 – 5 NWMA Meeting and SEG Technical Session, Spokane, WA E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.nwma.org December 8 – 12 American Geophysical Union 2003 Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA Web: www.agu.org/meetings 2004 January 26 – 30 AGI 2004 Ocean Sciences Meeting, Portland, OR Tel : 202 777-7340; Fax: 202 328-0566; Email: [email protected] Web: agu.org/meetings/ * February 8 – 13 17th Australian Geological Convention, Hobart, Australia Web: http://www.17thagc.gsa.org.au/ February 23 – 25 Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration, Annual Meeting and Exhibit, Denver, CO Tel: 303 973-9550; Fax: 303 979-3461; Email: [email protected] * March 4 – 5 SEG U of T Student Chapter workshops on diamond exploration and magmatic ore deposits, Toronto, ON E-mail: [email protected] May 12 – 14 GAC/MAC 2004, St. Catharines, ON Web: www.gac.ca; e-mail: [email protected] May 2004 Joint Rocky Mountain - Cordilleran Section meeting of GSA. Boise, ID E-mail: [email protected]; Web: http://earth.boisestate.edu/gsa2004/ May 17 – 21 2004 AGU-CGU Joint Assembly, Montreal, PQ Web: www.agu.org/meetings/ * May 31 – June 4 Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society Annual Congress, Edmonton, AB Web: www.cmos.ca * June 16 – 18 Canadian Water Resources Association Annual Conference, Montreal, PQ Web: www.cwra.org June 16 – 19 International Conference on Groundwater Vulnerability Assessment and Mapping, Sosnowiec, Poland E-mail: [email protected] Web: http://khgi.wnoz.us.edu.pl/ vulnerability.htm * June 25 – 30 From Forelands to Core Zones: Deformation and Tectonic Evolution of Orogenic Belts, in honour of Dr. Philip Simony, Calgary, AB E-mail: [email protected] July 12 – 16 BHS International Conference, Hydrology: Science and Practice for the 21st Century, Imperial College, London, UK E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.hydrology.org.uk/ index.html July 26 - 30 International Glaciological Society, International Symposium on Ice-WaterIce: Processes across the Phase Boundary, Portland, OR Web: http://www.igsoc.org/symposia/ 2004/portland/portland1.html August 16 – 20 2004 Western Pacific Geophysics Meeting, Honolulu, HI Web: www.agu.org/meetings August 23 - 27 International Glaciological Society, International Symposium on Arctic Glaciology, Geilo, Norway Web: http://www.igsoc.org/symposia/ 2004/geilo/geilo1.html Volume 32 No. 3 39 August 20 - 28 International Union of Geological Sciences 32nd International Geological Congress, Florence, Italy Tel: 39 055 238 2146; E-mail: [email protected] Web: http://www.32igc.org * September 23 – 27 14th Canadian Paleontology Conference, Huntsman Marine Science Centre, NB E-mail: [email protected] September 27 – October 1 SEG 2004 Conference, Perth, Australia E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.cgm.uwa.edu.au/ geoconferences/seg2004/ October 11 – 15 XXXIII Congress of IAH—Conference on Groundwater Flow Understanding: From Local to Regional Scale, Joint Conference IAH/ALHSUD, Mexico E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.igeograf.unam.mx/aih November 14 – 19 IAVCEI 2004 General Assembly, Pucón, Chile Web: www.sernageomin.cl/iavcei December 13 – 17 AGU 2004 Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA Web: www.agu.org/meetings Canadian Geoheritage www.carleton.ca/~jadonald/ friends.html And Finally ... Yukon Diamond Rumour Map The Yukon isn’t underlain by old, thick, cold crust that is generally considered fertile places for kimberlites or lamproites to bring diamonds to the surface. Regardless, rumours and innuendo over the years have suggested that diamonds may be about…certainly they’ve been confirmed in other unlikely settings such as Alaska and California. On that background, the Government of Yukon Department of Energy, Mines and Resources have compiled and released a Diamond Rumour map that documents hearsay and half-truths. For more information: http:// www.economicdevelopment.yk.ca/Mining/YRMDP/ Diamond_Rumour_Map/Diamond_Rumour_Map.htm Autumn 2003 There seems to be an uncertain future for alkaline rock and carbonatite petrologists to judge for comment arising from President George Bush’s recent tour of the African continent. A prominent Austin, Texas newspaper rattled the foundations of petrology and structural geology with the headline BUSH DENIES EXISTENCE OF AFRICAN RIFT. I guess we had it wrong all along and never knew it. And he ain’t even a geologist! Eevents on-line at: www.gac.ca/PUBLICAT/GEOLOG/calendar.htm hyperlinks and all... GEOLOG